The Deputy Clerk of Parliament, Ebenezer Ahumah Djaoutre, has assured mine workers of a thorough investigation into the sale and purchase agreement concerning the Bogoso Prestea mine.
The assurance came during a petition presentation at the Parliament House in Accra on April 26, 2024.
The petition, received on behalf of the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, was submitted by mine workers seeking redress. Despite facing obstacles from the Ghana Police Service, who limited their delegation to ten people, the General Secretary of the Ghana Mine Workers Union, Abdul Moomin Gbana, led the group to present their concerns.
Although they couldn’t meet the Speaker directly, Djaoutre received the petition on his behalf.
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Abdul Moomin Gbana urged Parliament to swiftly intervene to resolve the crisis at the Bogoso Prestea mine.
“We also want to mention that the sale and purchasing agreement did not come to Parliament, so we want the Speaker and by extension Parliament to conduct investigations into the agreement,” he requested.
In response, the Deputy Clerk of Parliament assured the workers that their concerns would be communicated to the Speaker.
“We will present it to the Speaker and you will surely hear the feedback” he assured.
Earlier in the day, the mine workers gathered at the Independence Square, demanding that the government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, terminate the mining lease of Future Global Resources.
The government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, On April 25, issued a directive to the managers of the Bogoso and Prestea Mines, Future Global Resources (FGR), giving them fourteen (14) days to initiate the payment of overdue salaries to workers.
The Ministry stipulated that FGR must fully settle all outstanding salaries by May 30, 2024.
In response to this, over three hundred mine workers from the Bogoso Mine took action by gathering at the premises of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to protest.
The workers are urging the Minister to revoke the mining lease granted to FGR, citing their inability to effectively manage the mine for the past three years, resulting in widespread layoffs.
“The truth of the matter is that, as far as we are concerned, duty bearers must recognize that Future Global Resources does not have the financial resources to manage the mines, so the Minister must terminate their contract,” stated Abdul Moomin Gbana, the General Secretary of the Ghana Mine Workers Union of TUC, during a news conference in Accra.