Chiefs of the Atuna Traditional Area in Ghana’s Bono Region rejected all mining on their land Thursday, citing environmental threats and an alleged undisclosed concession granted to a private company without community consent.
The declaration came during a charged press briefing in Atuna following a visit by officials from the Minerals Commission, the Ghana Geological Survey Authority (GGSA), the Ghana Gold Board, and the Jaman South Municipal Chief Executive. Their presence was intended to address growing community concerns over a reported mining concession.
Paramount Chief Okogyeaman Akwanbresie led the community’s position with absolute clarity, stating that no government agency, corporate entity, or individual would be permitted to initiate mining operations in the area. “No part of Atuna’s land will be made available for mining,” he declared.
The firm stance follows reports that the Minerals Commission allegedly gazetted portions of Atuna land to a company identified as Oasis Limited for mining purposes, following surveys reportedly conducted by the GGSA and the Gold Board. Traditional leaders say the community was neither consulted nor informed before the decision was made, a claim that has triggered deep outrage across the traditional council.
Atuna sits in the Jaman South Municipality and functions primarily as a farming border community with cocoa and cashew production as its economic backbone. Community leaders warn that mining would devastate farmlands, contaminate water bodies, and strip thousands of farmers of their livelihoods. Despite the area being believed to hold significant gold deposits, the community has maintained its rejection of mineral extraction for decades, repelling previous incursions by illegal miners through coordinated resistance by the traditional council.
Queenmother Nana Asantewa Boateng Bemeh reinforced the collective position, insisting that no arrangement, whether government sponsored or privately initiated, would give any party rights over their land.
The confrontation escalated further when the Kyidomhene of Atuna, Nana Benneh, and the Okyeame of the Atuna Traditional Council, Osei Kwame Bonsu Okatakyie, levelled serious allegations against prominent figures. They named National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board Sammy Gyamfi, Bono Regional Minister Joseph Addai Akwaboah, and the Jaman South Municipal Chief Executive as individuals who allegedly had prior knowledge of the concession granted to Oasis Limited.
Traditional leaders are demanding immediate transparency and full accountability, calling for all processes that could advance mining in the area to be halted without delay.
As pressure mounts from both the community and traditional authority, Atuna remains unequivocal: their land, their farms, and their future are not for negotiation.
