Found this article about the locals opposing the mine. Will this...

Found this article about the locals opposing the mine. Will this cause problems long or short term? Would like to hear from those with a bit more expertise...i personally am not sure...


Article link
http://www.ghananewsagency.org/s_social/r_12692/

Mining company, threat to security in Upper West
February 20, 2010

"Wa, Feb. 20, GNA - The operations of Azumah Resources Limited, a gold mining company at Cherekpong, in the Nadowli District of the Upper West region, has been identified as a threat to the peace and food security of the people of the area

The people were not aware of the project and therefore are not involved in any process that would capture their concerns in its design and implementation.

Members of the Cherekpong community said the hazardous effects of mining activities on their health and livelihood would be seriously undermined and wants to bring the situation to the attention of the government.

These were contained in a communiqu issued at Wa by stakeholders, at the end of an interface meeting of the Upper West Regional chapter of the Ghana Network for Peace.

The quarterly interface meetings provides the opportunity for stakeholders to learn and share experiences as well as identify some security threats in the region and recommend possible solutions.

Other issues that were seen as potential threat to peace in the region were pilfering and day light robbery in the Wa Municipality, gambling and snooker games in the Municipality, chieftaincy disputes, multiple sales of lands, bush burning and domestic fires.

The communiqu called on the Regional Coordinating Council and the security agencies to take steps and arrest the criminal gangs that were operating in the Wa Municipality and ban the activities of the snooker operators in order to save the children from stealing and gambling.

On the multiple sales of lands, they urged the regional lands department to streamline the proper acquisition of lands to avert such happenings and document the sale of lands in the region properly to save the situation."