The Talensi Constituency Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Augustine Mmi-oni Guure, has sounded a strong warning over mounting frustration and the potential outbreak of violence among local small-scale miners.
Speaking on A1 Radio, Mr. Guure revealed that many miners who heavily invested their resources to campaign for the NDC now feel betrayed by the party’s leadership.
While he emphasized that the party’s national commitment to regularize and integrate small-scale mining activities remains firm, he said authorities’ decisions to seize mining lands without compensation or alternatives have left some miners angry and desperate.
“The gun does not know callous. The gun only knows that I have an enemy,” Mr. Guure warned, underscoring the severity of the security threat. He noted that many miners, some of whom inherited pits dating back to the 1990s, view mining as their only source of livelihood.
He stressed that the crisis goes beyond politics, describing it as a pressing humanitarian and security challenge. He linked the miners’ economic desperation to increasing armed robbery and violent crime in Talensi, cautioning that politicians and prominent community figures could soon become prime targets.
“I cannot get to eat… Then I see somebody passing, especially we politicians… Next time, the bullet would go,” he stated.
Calling for urgent intervention, Augustine Mmi-oni Guure appealed to traditional leaders, political authorities, and stakeholders to engage miners in dialogue and find a sustainable solution. He warned that failure to act could destabilize the entire constituency.
“The situation requires immediate attention; this is not about politics but about the survival of our people and the peace of Talensi,” he said.
A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Moses Apiah|Bolgatanga
