'We Have Valid  EPA, Minerals Commission Permits And Licences To Win Sand At Adeiso'

Management of Summertide Company Limited has denied widespread media reports attributed to the chiefs and elders of Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council in the Eastern Region that police officers from the Adeiso Police Station were aiding the company to engage in illegal sand winning activities in Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area.

According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Summertide Company Limited, Mr Samuel Atsu Forson, the company has valid or legal working environmental permits and licences from state mining regulatory institutions including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Minerals Commission of Ghana to carry legal sand winning in the area.

"These allegations were falsely being peddled by some self-seeking elders of Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area to cover-up some seven criminal charges preferred against the Chief of Akyem Abuakwa Mponua, Nana Barima Twum Tarbiade, Akyem Nponiahene Nana Sarpong Baffuor Kumankuma Awuah, Jonathan Martey, Eric Yaw Obeng, Victor Ahenkora Koranteng and others who are at large after visiting a robbery attack on workers of the company at their stone quarry site at Adeiso in the Eastern Region on Tuesday, June 15, 2021," he stated.

Consequently, Mr Forson called on the general public to disregard the allegations levelled against the company, saying that it was a calculated attempt by self-seeking elders of Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area to destroy the reputation of the company just to make the company look bad in the eyes of Ghanaians.

According to him, they are law-abiding citizens who generally respect the laws in the country and would be the last persons to engage in bad or illegal activities which would be contrary to the laws and regulations of this country.

The chiefs and elders Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council at a crowded conference held on Wednesday, June 25, 2021, claimed that a team of police officers from the Adeiso Police Station have been beefing up the security of Summertide Company Limited, which the chiefs say was winning sand illegally within some areas of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area.

The Akyem Abuakwa State Secretary, Mr Daniel Marfo Ofori Atta, who addressed the press conference, said the sand winning activities in the area by Summertide Company Limited had led to series of attacks on residents of Yakooko, Teacher Mante,
 Ahwerease-Daaman, Amaadi and Kotuakrom, Asuboi and its environs.

He claimed that their checks from the EPA and the Minerals Commission showed that the CEO of Summertide Company was winning sand in the aforementioned areas of the Akyem Abuakwa State illegally.

Mr Ofori Atta said the Okyeman task force and the chiefs were left red-faced when they encountered gun-wielding land guards parading themselves at one of the illegal sand winning sites around Adeiso as Okyeman task force.

He noted that the gun-wielding men fired several gunshots at the entourage of the chiefs that went to ascertain the fact following several complaints from their subjects.

He indicated that the chiefs had on their part invited the CEO of Summertide Company to Ofori Panin Fie to produce valid work permits from EPA and the Minerals Commission but he failed to do so.

The Okyeman State secretary said the gunmen after assaulting the chiefs, rather reported the same to the Eastern Regional Police Command alleging kidnapping among several other false accusations against the traditional authorities.

He noted that  Barimah Twum Tebrade II together with others from the Stool Land Protection Agency went to the bush with a registered gun but did not exchange fire with the land guards who confronted them.

“…rather he said the gun-wielding men he described as "hoodlums" shot at them after four of the illegal sand winners were accosted.

The traditional council described the response of the Ghana Police Service over the illegal sand winning issue in Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area as very disappointing.

He stressed that Okyehene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin has not leased nor sold any land within Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area to Summertide Company Limited for the purpose of sand winning or mining.

He also indicated that they have a responsibility to protect their lands and subjects from illegal sand winning and mining activities should the police fail to do thorough work.

But in a quick counter-press conference in Accra, the CEO of Summertide Company Limited denied the allegations, saying his company’s operations were legal and licensed by the appropriate state mining regulatory authorities.

To buttress his case, Mr Forson showed various copies of the legal statutory documents and environmental operating permits and licences from the Environmental Protection Agency, Minerals Commission, National Insurance Commission, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to prove his case that indeed the company’s operations were legal and licensed by appropriate state mining regulatory authorities.

According to him, they have secured a legal and genuine lease agreement with the custodian owners of the lands to win sand in the area.

 Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu Greater Accra Regional Correspondent