News
Aggrieved farmers cry to govt to stop illegal encroachment on farms
Aggrieved farmers at Saamang in the Fanteakwa South District in the Eastern Region have appealed to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to prevail on BSD Mines to stop their illegal activities or they would be forced to take necessary action that may not be in the interest of the company.
According to the farmers, BSD Mines, a subsidiary of Kibi Gold Fields Ghana Limited, which mines for gold at Saamang in the Fanteakwa South District, has taken its concession beyond borders by encroaching on farmlands cultivated by individuals in the area without their consent.
Pouring out their grievances to The Spectator, one of the aggrieved farmers, Mr Eric Nkum Antwi, owner of Ever Care Venture said the company had destroyed large acres of cocoa, plantain, oil palm, cassava, cocoyam and yam farms among others which were their only source of livelihood.
According to Mr Nkum Antwi, his 1.5 acres of cocoa and plantain farms which employed two permanent and seven casual workers, had been destroyed by BSD Mines, who also dug dams on the farm without any form of negotiation between him and the company.
“My 1.5 acres of cocoa and plantain farms that could fetch me a substantial amount of money to feed my family and also pay my workers had been destroyed by this company without approaching me for any form of either compensation or negotiation.
“No one from the company had come to negotiate any terms with me and to my surprise my workers went to the farm to discover that more mining wells had been dug on my farm and my cocoa and plantain trees in which I had invested monies have been destroyed,” he fumed.
Mr Antwi also revealed that the illegal mining activities of Kibi Gold Fields Ltd had contaminated the town’s only source of drinking water, but the company compensated each household with only two bags of sachet water daily, which was woefully inadequate for the survival of the residents.
Another farmer, Opanin Kofi Sam, also confirmed that his 17.5 acre farm located at Anomaase made up of cocoa, plantain, cassava, palm trees, cocoyam, yam, and vegetables have all been destroyed by the company to extract gold.
He said a Koforidua High Court on May 6, 2020 granted a request made by Kibi Gold Fields Limited who had pleaded for out-of-court settlement, after he had filed a complaint at the law court.
“We met to negotiate on the matter and they asked me to send a proposal to them which I did as requested. They acknowledged receipt and promised to come back but I have since not heard anything from them till now,” he said.
The farmers also expressed disappointment in the traditional authorities for watching on for the company to be engaging in such illegal activities that have the potential of endangering their families into abject poverty.
When contacted on telephone, the Community Relations Officer of the company, Mr Eric Opoku Fordjour conceded that, their activities had affected some farmers around the concession site.
Meanwhile, he explained that it was not deliberate as speculated by the farmers, adding that, in the case of Mr Eric Antwi Nkum, a portion of his farm was affected when they were clearing a road to the site.
“With Opanin Kofi Sam, we agreed on an amount to compensate him, however, on the day we were to give the money to him, he asked us to go and grant bail for his nephew who had been jailed 18 years for engaging in illegal mining before he would accept the money,” he said.
He has assured that they would contact the aggrieved farmers and settle the matter amicably.
The aggrieved farmers have, however, complained that they had not received any compensation from BSD Mines.
From David Kodjo, Koforidua
The Northern Regional Police Command has arrested three men believed to be part of a kidnapping syndicate responsible for abducting a 42-year-old man in Wapuli, a community in the Yendi District.
The suspects, Haruna Seidu, Amidu Bandi and Osman Bandi allegedly kidnapped the victim and demanded GH¢100,000 from his family for his release.
According to a police statement, officers from the Regional Police Intelligence Directorate were deployed to Wapuli after the incident was reported.
The team conducted surveillance and launched a rescue operation.
On Friday, December 5, 2025, police successfully rescued the victim and arrested the suspects after what was described as an intense exchange of gunfire.
The suspects were later taken into custody and are expected to be arraigned before court.
The Police said the a fourth suspect, who is believed to have sustained gunshot wounds during the operation, is currently on the run.
They urged the public to provide any information that may lead to his arrest.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong advocates Bold educational reforms at the UK House of Lords during Global Education Summit.
On November 27 2025, global development leaders, policymakers, education experts and civil society organisations gathered at the UK Parliament’s House of Lords for the Global Education Summit hosted by The Baroness Verma of Leicester and organised by the African British Business Forum.
The high-level event focused on the global rise in out-of-school children and the urgent reforms required to deliver equitable, quality education for all.
Among the distinguished Speakers was Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, Founder & President of Women in Sustainability Africa (WiSA) and General Manager of the EIB Network, who delivered a compelling address on the theme “Breaking Barriers: Empowering Out-of-School Children Through Education.”
In her remarks, Nana Yaa who is currently celebrating 26years of Service in the Media, emphasized that education must be viewed as essential national infrastructure, not charity.
Borrowing experiences from her 18 years of empowering women and young people, she presented a strong case on how Africa’s poor educational systems tie into the poor state of its Gender Equality gap.
According to her, unlocking access to education is one of the most effective ways to strengthen economies, empower women and young girls, build resilient communities and drive sustainable development.
She highlighted that each child excluded from learning represents deferred innovation, delayed opportunity and a weakened society.
Nana Yaa noted that the barriers keeping millions of children out of school are complex and interconnected—ranging from poverty and cultural norms to geographical isolation and digital exclusion.
Addressing these challenges, she argued, requires solutions that are equally comprehensive and multi-layered.
Nana Yaa stressed that girls remain disproportionately affected, and investing in girls’ education has a transformative impact across several Sustainable Development Goals, including gender equality, poverty reduction, health outcomes and climate resilience.
Nana Yaa advocated for the expansion of flexible, inclusive and community-responsive educational models, such as mobile classrooms for remote and nomadic communities, community learning hubs, after-hours programmes for working children, radio-based instruction for low-tech areas and digital platforms designed to reach learners regardless of connectivity challenges.
She warned that without deliberate action, the digital divide would continue to widen, pushing already vulnerable children further to the margins.
During her presentation, she introduced three major reforms WiSA is seeking Partners for, aimed at reshaping educational access across Africa and beyond.
These are the Digital Bridge for Out-of-School Children (DBOC), the Community Education Stewardship Hubs (CESH) involving local women educators and youth volunteers and the Teen-focused Global Skills Accelerator for Out-of-School Teens (GSA-OT).
She also underscored the need for education systems that support instruction, inclusivity and healing, particularly for children experiencing autism, trauma, displacement or conflict.
Nana Yaa emphasised that emotional and psychological support must be integrated into educational frameworks in order to restore confidence, stability and long-term learning capacity.
The summit concluded with strong commitments from stakeholders to adopt sustainable financing models, strengthen data-driven policies and expand cross-sector partnerships.
The African British Business Forum reaffirmed its commitment to championing innovative, scalable solutions to educational inclusion across the UK, Africa and the wider global community.
