PRESS RELEASE

DATE:  Thursday, 11^thApril, 2019

PRESS RELEASE

Newmont Oppressive and Marginalization Practices against Host community

On behalf of the leadership of OMANBOTANTIM ASSOCIATION, let me greet all of you on behalf of the leadership and the good people of our Ahafo communities within the operations of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL).

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press,                          

Thank you for honoring our invitation and the inconveniences you may have gone through to move in here. The leadership of OMANBOTANTIM welcomes you all to this press briefing which majorly focuses on the abuse, oppression, discrimination, and marginalization from the operations of NGGL. It is our intention to use the opportunity like this to share our thoughts with you on some developments in our communities and equally, make some clarifications on emerging issues in the operation of Newmont in Ahafo.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press,

I humbly request to reiterate here that OMANBOTANTIM is NOT (emphasis) opposed to the operations of the NGGL. We are against the stakeholder abuses, intimidation, oppression, discriminatory practices, environmental abuses, malfeasance, and abuse of community rights and outright violation of the country’s laws in compensation payment and processes, and marginalization being meted out to our people.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press,

We have been liaising with our opinion leaders on our concerns. In the past, we resorted to peaceful protests in demand of social and economic and environmental, justice. The NGGL and institutions of the Government of the Republic of Ghana have NOT responded to our concerns. Of late we have been witnessing great deal of abuses that we would like whole world to hear and come to our aid as poor local community members:

a.      In late 2018, Newmont Ghana Gold limited sent its officer to inform Yamfo traditional council that the Company has arranged to cause arrest and imprisonment of Yamfo paramount chief(Nana Ansah Adu Baah II) for commenting on an issue affecting a local employee. We consider the plan and the communication to arrest a renowned and respected traditional leader in our region and the nation by a multinational mining company like Newmont as a dangerous and imperialist precedence that should be condemned. Again, in June 2018, the company sent a letter to the chiefs of Ahafo North of its operation describing them as ‘intruders’ for following up on a local employee’s issue. As if that is not enough, later in December 2018, two paramount chiefs(Ntorotrso and Kenyasi 1 chiefs were refused entry into the company premise when they wanted to meet with the company’s leadership on matters that were affecting local employees(a wrongful and mass dismissal of local employees). All these scenarios show clearly that Newmont is intolerant, abusive to indigenous people and disrespectful to the culture of the host communities.
All these decisions and abuses were advised or directed by Mr. Derek Boateng(Senior External Relation manger), Mr Joseph Danso (Social Responsibility manager) and Mr. Thomas Thompson (Human Resource manager, Ahafo site). 
We are therefore calling on the government, national/regional house of chiefs to call Newmont to order and respect our chiefs. We also petition the CEO of Newmont Corporation to remove the aforementioned officers to ensure the company’s cultural compliance and peace in the communities

b.     Second, we have observed with concern how Newmont calculated and dubiously dismissed some local employees within the company and its subcontractors. Since May 2018 till now, the company had terminated an appointment of some senior local employees and sacked 17 subcontractor local employees at once. Few weeks ago, the company deliberately disengaged huge number of local employees leaving non locals to work. Why should locals who are equally professional and skilled be made to go home leaving the non-locals to work? Some key sub-contractors under Newmont Ahafo mine; ADB Gye Nyame Company Limited, a sub-contractor under WBHO Ghana Limited, ENI Electrical Engineering Company and the Akorli Electrical Engineering Company hire majority and juicy positions outside the local communities even though the locals are equally qualified. Again, there are corruption and nepotism among the company’s leaders to the disadvantage of the locals. For example Thomas Thompson(HR) and Joseph Danso(Social leader) have their brothers working in their department of influence and other sections of the company and among subcontractors. All these are being actioned, directed or superintended by Thomas Thompson, the HR manager who is insensitive, arrogant and biased to locals. We love to work with Newmont in Ahafo but not under the care and management of employment and social space by corrupt, abusive, arrogant, autocratic and disrespectful Thomas Thompson and his cohorts - Derek Boateng(SER) and Joseph Danso(SR). Since 2016 that these officers assumed social/employment leadership role in the mine, there have been repeated costly community agitations due to their incompetence and distrustful character. We are demanding Thomas Thompson removal to ensure trust in the company’s local employment and peace in the host communities! STELLA BOAMA(DRA HR) must go with immediate effects.

c.      Third, is the issue of the company’s disposition of cheating, suppression, marginalization and outright disregard to the country’s laws on compensation and resettlement. Newmont since its developments in Ahafo had implemented over 4 sets of resettlements. But in all these, it has never negotiated the resettlement packages for the community with support of a community’s consultant as the mining regulation requires. Early this year, some affected people in Ahafo resisted an attempt by the company to resettle them without a consultant to negotiate their resettlement packages. After months of community agitation on the request, the company agreed to pre-finance the cost of the consultant as required.  However, the company insisted and removed a local community member who was part of the consultant’s team on the grounds that he had ever worked with the company (and so knows its secrets). This action of the company is against the laws of the land – it’s tantamount to preventing a citizen from gainful employment and abuse of human right of the individual concern. Surely, this is indicative of Newmont’s nature of marginalization and suppression of locals or indigenous people on their own land. This tyrannical and suppressive nature of Newmont is always display to weaken the community side in order to cheat and shortchange the locals in land compensations and other critical negotiations.

d.     Four, Newmont through bad community relation practice has created chaos in our communities. The company through it mischievous and poor community relation practices has set up traditional leaders against traditional leaders, youth against youth, and youth against traditional leaders. As we speak, due to mischievous actions and inactions of the company (Joseph Danso, and two other community relations officers of Ahafo North project) some youth leaders are in courts with their traditional leaders. These two community relation officers incite some youth to attack chiefs (eg in Afrisipa), organizing mobs to attack meeting participants etc. Indeed the company is setting our communities on fire!

 e . Five, Candian International Research Development Institute (CIRDI) Report on Community Benefits Agreement(an agreement that requires the mine to pay some funds to the community foundation called NADeF) revealed a loss of Eight million US Dollars (US$ 8,000,000) through Newmont management. This revelation was shocking and since then the news remains silent with no explanation from the company. We demand that Newmont refunds the money and call those who directly or indirectly contributed to this rot and disadvantaged the communities in executing their sustainable development projects to book.

f.       Another concern is a somewhat deliberate attempt by some senior politicians and ministers of state who appear to worship the tyrant Newmont and have neglected the cry of the community. The Minister of Employment and Labour Relations once came in to settle an impasse between the local-local employees and the contractors of Newmont Ahafo. After appointing a mediator (Paidoo Henry) and give him one (1) month to mediate and submit a report, all stakeholders respected the minister and calmly followed the process. Everyone would have expected the report of the mediation would be released and further directives given to all the parties by the minister but this was not done. This failure empowered Newmont and its subcontractors’ management to victimize the local employees who spoke up and resisted the illegalities and unfair treatment being meted out to them. The minister was informed of these developments but no action was taken. In attempt to raise concerns on the issue and other unfair local employees dismissals, then the Regional minister of Brong Ahafo (now Ahafo) - Evans Boobie invited the chiefs and the youth leaders of Asutifi South District and threatened that whoever attempts any form of demonstration against Newmont will go to ‘Asamando’ or will join the salient land - meaning we will be shot and killed in any mining related demonstration. In fact, he unveiled the shooting plan by saying that as “the regional minister I will send military officers from the region to do justice to those who may try any demonstration in Newmont Ahafo Mine”. Is that what Akuffo Addo government promised us – to be shut-up with threats of brutality and deaths? To make us spectators but not citizens in own community in matters that affect our life and posterity?

We have witnessed several disappointments in the course of seeking justice for our people. Despite these disappointments, we have stuck tenaciously to the demands of our rights as human beings inhabiting the area where NGGL operates. We refuse to yield to the pressures of Newmont and other entities of interest to be quiet.

Today, Thursday April 11, 2019:

1.     We call on our teeming members in our communities affected by the operations of Newmont to resist oppression and repression of the company.

2.     We call on CEO of Newmont to remove Thomas Thompson, Derek Boateng and Joseph Danso from Ahafo Mine to bring lasting peace between the company and the community.