The Chief Executive of AC Zenon Limited, Amina Tahiru, has refuted allegations of the company’s involvement in illegal mining activities, known as Galamsey in Asuom in the Kwaebibirim Municipality of the Eastern Region.

The company with a 13-year mining lease of 29.7 kilometres of mining concession was earlier accused by Nana Boadi Amponim Obodade III, Kontinhene of Asuom in the Kwaebibirim Municipality who claimed that activities of AC Zenon were affecting the environment and destroying water bodies in the community.

He also alleged that AC Zenon has refused to comply with the community’s demands to stop operations and reclaim damaged lands.

However, Madam Tahiru taking journalists around the company’s operation site, in the presence of officers of the Minerals Commission in Koforidua refuted these allegations stating that the company has a legitimate mining lease to undertake legal mining activities.

“I hold in my hands my mining lease, it is not even a prospecting license; a mining lease I have with all my other documents that support me to do mining. This is the site where we are currently standing. You can see behind me a settling pond that we have created.

“This pond alone took up to three months to complete. The pond took about three months to complete and we are not drawing water directly from the stream. The stream is about 200 meters away from where we are currently. We are recycling all our water.”

She also debunks accusations of mining close to river bodies and destroying the environment.

“…I don’t even have a single cocoa around me here and with all the lands that have been mined they were compensated, duly compensated with a proper agreement given to the farmers, they signed, we signed and we took over the land and we even gave them a duration to give it back to them. You can see the lands that we have mined already have been covered and the vegetation is growing back. If the farmers want to come and start farming activities today, the land is ready.”

Meanwhile, Amina Tahiru wants the government to streamline the mining system to protect persons and institutions doing legal and responsible mining activities to serve as a model to others.

“…I am one of the vocal persons who is totally against illegal mining in this country. I have talked about it. I have gone to the extent that I took it upon myself to go to some of my colleagues’ sites to advise them as to how to do their work properly.

“Illegal mining doesn’t just affect the water bodies and the environment, it also affects some of us who have legitimate licenses. Like today I have my concession, illegal miners have invaded the whole area, some part of the concession, and it is a daunting task for me to be able to get rid of them,” she stated.