Members of the Concerned Farmers Association-Breman in the Upper Denkyira West District, Central Region have reinforced that they will not give out their lands to any mining company.
According to them, no amount of mouth-watering compensations would entice them to give out their lands to Perseus Mining Ghana Limited (PMGL) or any other mining company operating in the area.
The visibly livid farmers made the statement during a media engagement forum in Breman on Thursday, March 14, 2024.
The media encounter was organised by Wacam, a human rights and environmental mining advocacy NGO, with support from its partners, Oxfam in Ghana under the Fair for All project.
The meeting highlighted the plights and ever-increasing human rights abuses against the farmers through the operations of PMGL, and to get the attention of the powers-that-be to address them.
Addressing the journalists, the Chief Farmer of the Concerned Framers Association-Breman, Emmanuel Boampong (aka Bojers), made it clear that they are happy with their farming activities, and that were not ready to lease out their lands to Perseus.
We have suffered and continue to suffer human rights abuses at the hands of Perseus Mining. These have included destruction of our farmlands, cash crops, arbitrary arrests of our members, all through the orchestration of the company among others,” he alleged.
But in the face of the above, the chief farmer emphasised that members of the Association remained resolute and committed to protect every inch of their farmlands.
He used the medium to lash out at their traditional leaders, accusing them of always jumping to the aid of the mining company and neglecting them.
Earlier, the Communications Officer of Wacam, Dennis A. Keelson, in a presentation christened: ‘Engagement with Media on Issues Affecting Locals, Farmers in Breman’ shared with the journalists some of the stories of human rights abuses against the farmers that have come into the media space.
He appealed to the media to give space to issues affecting the farmers in Breman to enable those at the helm of affairs address them with a sense of urgency.
According to him, it was sad that members of the Association continue to suffer human rights abuses in their effort to fend for their families through farming.
In attendance was the Associate Executive Director of Wacam, Hannah Owusu-Koranteng, together with the Technical Director, Wacam, Lawyer Kwaku Afari, and two Zonal Officers, Madam Joana Manu and Dominic Nyame.
