Chief calls for independent probe into water quality

Nana Kyei Bonsu, the Odikro of Tutuka, a farming community in the Asutifi North District of the Brong Ahafo Region, is calling for independent, scientific and comprehensive laboratory test and analysis of underground water, surface water and all other water bodies in and around the area.

The call by the Tutuka chief comes on the heels of two reports on the state and quality of water being used by residents living in and around Kenyase Number One, Kenyase Number Two, Ntotroso, Gyedu, and Wamahinso.

The first report which was out in January 2017 titled "Exposure to toxicants in Environmental contaminants within Newmont Ghana Gold Limited - Ahafo Mine: Human Health Risk Assessment Approach" was based on a study conducted in 2016 in communities around Newmont's operations by Dr. Frederick A. Armah, a Senior Lecturer of the University of Cape Coast and Mr. Samuel Obiri, a Senior Research Scientist of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

This report indicts Newmont for environmental and water pollution in its catchment area but after nearly ten months after this report had been released, Newmont now says per their own review of the first report, they "found a number of deficiencies, errors, and misrepresentations that invalidate the scientific validity of these claims."

But Nana Kyei Bonsu believes that an independent, scientific and comprehensive assessment of the whole issue will put to rest all doubts surrounding the quality of water being used by his townsfolk as well as other communities in the area.

The Tutuka chief was interacting with over one hundred students of the University of Energy and Natural Resources, the Sunyani Technical University and St. Vitus Technical Institute who were at Tutuka as part of their Field Trip to some of the communities affected by the presence of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited. Other places visited were Ananekrom and Kenyase Number Two.

Residents of all the places visited could not hide their discontentment about what they consider as "maltreatment" being meted out to them by the authorities of Newmont.

27-year Paul Anto Boadu of Tutuka said contrary to the promises made to them by Newmont officials at the start of their operations that their lives would be better off in future, the reverse is the case as their plight has even worsened.

He said they had lost confidence in the paramount chiefs of the area because the chiefs had miserably failed to help find solutions to their concerns but were rather interested in securing contracts from the company.

All the women who interacted with the students complained bitterly about the poor quality water from the boreholes provided for them by Newmont, and which are suspected to have traces of cyanide and high concentration of arsenic, mercury, cadmium, manganese, and lead.

This situation, according to the women has greatly contributed to the increased rate of irregular menstrual flow, stillbirth, neonatal death and other diseases such as skin rashes and stomach aches which were all uncommon in the area until the advent of Newmont in Ahafo.

According to them, their main sources of water now which are boreholes provided by Newmont are believed to have traces of cyanide and other dangerous chemicals while their streams which they used to rely on have all been polluted but nothing seems to be done about their predicament.

"Anytime officials of Newmont come here, we see them holding Voltic Mineral water and would never drink from the borehole they have provided us. We have no option than to continue drinking from the borehole because we can't afford to buy Voltic Mineral Water all the time and so we are really suffering!", they said.

Kofi Yeboah of Ananekrom said the Tailings facility of Newmont had been leaking into the Subri stream, which serves many communities.

An Elderly woman, also of Ananekrom, Ama Nyarko narrated the ordeal his 15-year old son, Isaac Ofori, went through in 2015 when his testicles started enlarging strangely.

"I took him to the Regional Hospital in Sunyani and upon lab tests, the disease was traced to the poor quality of water that we have been drinking here at Ananekom", she recounted.