Condemning the situation, he said, it was like somebody entering into someone’s legally acquired house and demanding a room to satisfy one’s need for shelter.

He, therefore, intoned: “It is not acceptable for people to take the law into their own hands to go and disturb legitimate business. Anglo­Gold and Obuasi are intertwined. The community relies on the mining company and the mining company is there for the community so that is unacceptable.

“People cannot just say that because they have to eat they have to go to the mine. No. That cannot be. We are not living in a banana republic. The law must be obeyed. If I’m living in my house here and this lease has been given to me, some­one cannot just walk in to tell me he wants a place to live and, therefore, he’s coming to live in my house”.

He was speaking during a courtesy call on him by the Management of AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine, at the Manhyia Palace last Friday.

The visit was to brief Otumfuo Osei Tutu on the recent shootout at the Obuasi mine that left about seven illegal miners dead.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu viewed that such invasions could cast a dark shadow on the country’s investment fortunes and discourage potential investors, stressing “if we are not very careful, this news could go out that if you invest in Ghana, you are distracted by illegal miners. We won’t be able to attract any investors.”

Adding that things must be done to protect both investors and their investments.

According to the Asantehene the development emanated from the diversion of an agreed portion of the Obuasi mine meant for the commu­nity folks nine years ago by some officials.

“I recall in 2016 when this issue came up, I remember saying that we should cede a portion of the 60 acres to community miners at that time. Even though AngloGold honoured its part, the portion however didn’t go to the people it was meant for. This issue has been lingering and the people are grieving over it as most of them have been left unemployed.”

The Asantehene promised to engage the government about the lingering issue when the nominat­ed Minister for Lands and Natural Resources takes office.

“When a Minister for Lands and Natural Resources is sworn in, we will have a very candid and thorough meeting with the President and the Minister to see the way forward in relation to dealing with that.”

The engagement, according to him would review how to settle those who have been rendered unemployed by the activities of AGA for the needed measures to sustain them, and how to allocate portions of concessions to them to undertake sustainable mining with their gangs and look at how to buy the gold from them.

Earlier, MrbStewart Bailey, the Chief Sustainability Officer and Cor­porate Affairs of AGA, expressed the company’s deep-felt condolences to the bereaved families and the wounded in that event, adding that “any loss of life is frankly unaccept­able, and we will wait for processes to play out.”

Referencing the directive from the President, John Dramani Mahama, he said AGA was progressing with absorbing the medical expenses of the wounded as well as the funeral cost of the dead.

He indicated that the mine had been placed on limited operation until the threats to their employees and community members were gone down.

“We take that very seriously and with the mine on limited operation, we can reduce the movement of people and reduce risk.”