Editorial: Quarry Operators Have Genuine Case

The Commercial Quarry Operators Association (CoQOA) has, according to a story we have published on page 2 of our today’s edition,  issued a stark warning that it may be forced to suspend quarry operations across Ghana if urgent action is not taken to address what it describes as a dangerous rise in land encroachment, misinformation, and threats against its members.

In a press statement dated June 12, 2025 and signed by its Executive Secretary, Georgina Dziwornu, CoQOA, sounded the alarm over the worsening situation in key quarrying zones including Buoho in the Ashanti Region, Ablekuma in Greater Accra Region, Nsawam in the Eastern Region and Budumburam in Central Region.

According to the operators, illegal settlements and construction are rapidly encroaching on lands legally designated for quarry operations, creating serious safety risks and undermining national infrastructure development.

CoQOA alleges that structures are now being built within just 10 to 20 meters of active blasting sites far below the minimum 500-meter buffer mandated by Regulation 176 of the Minerals and Mining (Explosives) Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2177).

They contend that such violations not only endanger lives, but also paralyse the lawful activities of quarry companies that have complied with environmental and land-use regulations.

“Contrary to public perception, it is not licensed quarry operators violating safety protocols, but unauthorized settlers breaching legally protected zones,” the release stated adding, “Some encroachers have gone further to issue threats, incite unrest and manipulate public sentiment through the media.”

The Chronicle cannot independently confirm or deny all the allegations, but if they are true, then it is a serious matter that must not be swept under the carpet. Indeed, we often hear of communities near quarry sites complaining bitterly about the destruction being caused to their properties by these quarry companies.

We have, all these while, assumed that the quarry companies were at the wrong side of the law. But as we have just indicated, if what CoQOA is saying is the “whole truth, nothing but the truth”, as lawyers will put it, it means some of the district, municipal and Metropolitan assemblies have slept on their jobs.

Lands in Accra and Kumasi in particular have become a scarce commodity. And with some of the quarry sites now close to human settlements, developers do not care a hoot about safety – their interest is to build and turn round to accuse these operators of destroying their properties through the use of explosives.

The leaders of assemblies hosting these quarry sites should have, therefore, taken it upon themselves to stop these illegal settlements, but they surprisingly sat down for the people to take the law into their hands. How Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Ghana Water Company (GWC) extend power and water supply respectively to these illegal settlements is another conundrum only the two institutions can help to solve.

Whether we like it or not, these quarry sites play crucial role in the development of national economy. No road in Ghana can be constructed without the use of stones neither can anyone build without buying stones from most of these quarry companies.

This is why the various assemblies must protect their concessions against encroachment, but the works department in these various assemblies have overlooked this. The Chronicle, therefore, supports the call by the quarry operators’ association for the demolition of all unauthorised structures within protected quarry buffer zones, in line with Act 936 (Local Government Act, 2016).

Prosecution of individuals including chiefs, families and government officials involved in the illegal sale and occupation of quarry lands. We again support the call that both ECG and GWC should disconnect their services to the illegal structures.

If the quarry operators have valid licenses supporting their operations, any casualties suffered by people who have encroached upon the buffer zone cannot be blamed on them. We hope that those who have ears are listening to us.

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