Prestea: Some youth at Prestea have organised a walk in solidarity with Heath Goldfields against calls on the government to revoke its Prestea-Bogoso mining lease. Dubbed 'Heath Must Stay Solidarity Walk', the youth marched through some principal streets of Prestea to oppose demands by some groups to revoke Heath Goldfields' mining lease.
According to Ghana News Agency, the call to revoke the lease was deemed premature by the youth, who highlighted that the company had provided jobs by allowing part of its concession for responsible small-scale cooperative community mining. Mr. Mahama Arthur, the Acting Chairman for Four Bungalows Black Waste Committee at Prestea, emphasized during the walk that their support for Heath Goldfields stemmed from its role in providing opportunities for artisanal small-scale mining activities.
Mr. Arthur stated, "We believe that Heath Goldfields, being a Ghanaian-owned company, must be supported by its indigenous people instead of revoking their lease and giving it to a Chinese company." He further noted that the company had shown its capability to support the government's cooperative mining scheme aimed at reducing illegal mining activities in the area.
Mr. Francis Kwesi Blay, a former Member of Parliament for Prestea-Huni Valley, also expressed his support for Heath Goldfields to continue its mining operations in the Prestea-Bogoso area. He remarked, "It is too early for us to agitate that they should leave, and as a Ghanaian mining company they will help boost the local economy because whatever money they get will remain in the country." He highlighted the company's willingness to partner with locals for shared growth, as evidenced by ceding part of its concession to the youth.
Nana Kwabena Tenkorang, the Chief of Prestea Nsuoakyi, urged the government to ignore calls to revoke the mining lease, asserting that Heath Goldfields was the main driver of development in their community. "It's the only company which has come in to cede part of their concession to the community for our youth to have something meaningful to do with their lives, and even awarded haulage and mining to local contractors, so they must stay," he said.