Quarry Coys At Shai Hills Raise Alarm Over Development Of New Estate

Quarry companies that operate within the Shai Hills are calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Minerals Commission to act immediately and stop construction of estates on lands designated for quarrying activities.

The developers, The Chronicle observed, upon a visit to the site, are constructing buildings close to the quarry concession at Shai Hills, a development which endangers safety of inhabitants who would occupy the estates when completed.

A letter sighted by The Chronicle and signed by Mr. Michael Toufic, General Manager of Cedar Quarry Ghana Limited and addressed to the EPA on 17th May, 2017, brought to the attention of the EPA, the situation at the site for action to be taken, but nothing was done about it.

A copy of the letter was also sent to the Ghana Police Service-Regional Headquarters, Tema, the Shai Osudoku District Assembly, Minerals Commission, Heowe Gblaka Stool, Volta Ghana Investment, Greenhouse Estates, the company in question.

The General Manager of Cedar Quarry in the letter indicated that, “the constructions are very close to our current operational area approximately 100m and should we move further it would be just 50m from our operational area.”

“We are, therefore, by this letter, requesting that you use your good offices to stop these developers from encroaching on the land designated for quarry activities.

The letter further informed the EPA formally that: “We shall not be liable for any damage to property or injury to any person in the vicinity of the construction site as a result of our quarrying activities.”

The Shai Hills quarry site harbors about 50 quarrying companies, but 5 are in contention as a result of the real estate development, which include Cedar Quarry Ghana Limited, Zina Quarry Limited just to mention a few.

When The Chronicle visited the land on Monday, this week, there were indications of construction of estates, as graders, and excavators were seen filling the lands, whiles wall was being constructed around the land. A building constructed on the land accommodates Chinese people.

When this reporter got there together with other journalists, a Chinese man and a woman, and a Ghanaian, Dominic Yeboah were seen outside.

However, within a period of 5 minutes after stating the reason we had come, not less than five other Chinese residents also came out of the room.

Interpreting one of the Chinese, Dominic Yeboah, who was with them said “he (referring to the Chinese) said the boss has gone to China so he can’t say anything until the boss comes back.”

He gave the name of the company as Greenhouse International Developers.

This paper gathered that the Shai Osudoku District Assembly gave the land to Greenhouse Estates to wash fuel tanks, contrary to the real estate development.

Dominic, who spoke Chinese to the people about the information, translated a statement by the Chinese by way of response that it was not true they got the land to wash fuel tanks, but was tight lipped on what actually the company was going to do there.

The Chinese kept reiterating that; “Our boss have traveled. We don’t know what we will do here until he comes. Now what you see going on is just filling the land.”

Mr. Alexander Dagadu, accountant at Cedar Quarry told this paper that, his company got a verbal response to their letter from the Minerals Commission that it had cautioned Greenhouse Estates about the risk associated with their location.

“To confirm whether or not the land was indeed going to developed into a real estate,  we contacted the company (Greenhouse Estate) to buy land and they said it will be ready in two months, ” Mr. Alexander said.

The Minerals Commission laws frown on buildings constructed   close to quarry sites.

According to the law,   there should be a minimum of 500 meters from the quarry activities and a maximum of 1000 meters away from the quarry zone.

“Meanwhile, the Green House International Developers, a Chinese company is building an estate about 100 meters from the Cedar Quarry. We assume it is a real estate development because of the layout,” Alexander Dagadu indicated.

Cedar Quarry Ghana Limited has operated on that concession for about 12 years and “they came about 2 months ago,” Mr. Alexander stated, adding that they are planning legal action should the situation persist.

Mr. Zakhia Merges, Managing Director of Zina Quarry Ghana, a sister concession to Cedar, wants authorities to quickly act before things got of hand.

By Maxwell Ofori