A group of about 100 angry youths from Asato, a farming community in the Kadjebi District of the Oti Region, has blocked African Exploration Minerals Group from prospecting for iron ore in the Asato bloc. The youths, wearing red bands and chanting war songs, claim they were not informed about the prospecting and expect the company to engage them properly before any exploration.
According to Mr. Boakye Danquah Budu, Assemblyman of Asato Electoral Area, the youths became incensed after realizing that heavy-duty mining machines had been brought into the forest zone without community consultation. He stated that the events leading up to the entry of the equipment were shrouded in secrecy, and the youth demand broader consultation on the prospecting of iron ore. “Nobody in Asato is an animal, so we need broader consultation…and to know the stakes.”
However, Osabarima Osei Bonsu V, Paramount Chief of Asato Traditional Area, disputes the youth’s claims, stating that there was community engagement in 2023. He explained that the company is currently prospecting to ascertain the viability of the iron ore before actual exploration begins in two years. A meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, July 11, 2024, to resolve the issue.
The Kadjebi District Police Commander, Superintendent of Police Mr. Frank Nana Asomaning, led a police and military detachment to the area to restore calm. The Ghana Geological Survey has discovered commercial quantities of iron ore deposits in the Asato enclave, with a feasibility study indicating 55.22% weight and a higher grade of iron ore, with possibilities of prospecting in five communities.
