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Ten individuals, among them a woman, have been apprehended by the Winneba District Police Command after hurling stones at officers who were barring their entry into the Effutu Municipal Assembly during a demonstration.
The protest, led by Names Kofi Annan, founder of Challenging Heights, saw Effutu residents expressing discontent over the alleged sale of a Ramsar site for lithium mining. Clad in red and black attire, the protestors chanted and marched through Effutu’s streets, highlighting concerns that the sale to Green Metal Resources Limited would jeopardize Winneba’s Aboakyire festival, traditionally held at the Ramsar site for deer-catching purposes.
James Kofi Annan, spokesperson for the demonstrators, strongly opposed any concessions granted to Green Metal Resources or other companies for mining activities in the Ramsar site. He cited historical attempts by various firms to obtain mining rights in the area, all of which faced opposition from the community and traditional councils.
An adamant stance was taken against lithium mining on this heritage site, stressing the ancestral significance of preserving it untouched. A petition against mining in the Ramsar site was submitted to the Minerals Commission by the demonstrators.
Despite police warnings, the clash erupted when protestors attempted to breach a blockade, prompting the police to use tear gas and arrest ten individuals involved in pelting stones. The situation escalated as demonstrators expressed vehement opposition to the sale of their cultural heritage for mining purposes.
