For 30 years, Damang was home to one of Ghana’s most prominent gold mining companies, Goldfields Ghana Ltd.
But as news of the government’s decision not to renew the company’s mining lease spreads, the mood in the community is not one of sorrow, but of quiet relief.
“You cannot be in a town for three decades and leave it looking abandoned,” said Emmanuel Afful, Convener of the Concerned Youth of the Damang Catchment Area.
“There’s no hospital, no functional water systems in some communities, and the same dusty, pothole-ridden roads.”
According to the youth, their stand is not against mining itself but against what they describe as the lack of meaningful development under Goldfields’ watch.
“We are not anti-mining, we are pro-development—and Goldfields failed to deliver,” Afful stressed. “Compare Damang to Kenyasi or Akyem, where other mining companies have built hospitals and improved infrastructure. Three decades should have transformed Damang, but instead, we were left with neglect.”
The youth have commended the government for what they see as a long-overdue response to community concerns and are calling on authorities to remain firm against any attempts to overturn the decision.
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