Bekwai residents give Chinese quarry firm one-week ultimatum over blasting, environmental damage

Residents of four communities in the Bekwai Municipality have issued a one-week ultimatum to Day Shine Company Limited, a Chinese-owned quarry firm, demanding immediate action to address what they describe as life-threatening blasting activities and widespread environmental degradation.

The ultimatum was handed down during a peaceful demonstration on Wednesday, July 29, which drew hundreds of residents from Amoamo, Anwiam, Amenase, and Adankrangya. Dressed in red mourning cloths and carrying placards with stark messages such as “We Are Slaves in Our Own Communities,” “You Devil, Go Away,” and “Aaah, We Dry,” the protesters marched through the affected settlements before presenting a formal petition to the company’s management, traditional leaders, and the Bekwai Municipal Assembly.

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Blasting Claims Homes, Injures Residents

The residents accuse Day Shine of conducting blasting operations without adequate prior notice, resulting in structural cracks in over 40 homes, shattered windows, and injuries to at least six individuals, including a 72-year-old woman who sustained a head injury from falling debris. The protesters say the blasts often occur without warning, sometimes as early as 5:00 a.m., and have become more frequent in recent months.

“We live in constant fear. When they blast, our walls shake as if there is an earthquake. Our children can’t sleep, and our elderly are terrified,” said Kwame Asare, a farmer from Amoamo, who showed journalists a large fissure running through his living room wall.

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Water, Farmlands, and Crops Contaminated

Beyond the immediate physical dangers, residents also allege that the quarry’s operations have severely polluted local water bodies. They claim that run‑off from the site has turned streams muddy and discoloured, and that farmers have reported crop failures, particularly in cassava and plantain, due to what they suspect is chemical contamination from dust and sediment.

“We used to harvest a good yield, but now the plants wilt, and the tubers are small and discoloured. Our drinking water is no longer safe,” said Akua Serwaa, a mother of four from Anwiam.

The demonstrators also say that livestock have fallen ill after drinking from contaminated streams, further compounding the economic hardship faced by the largely agrarian communities.

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Assembly Member Raises Alarm

Nyhiraba Abigail Opoku, the Assembly Member for the Adankrangya Electoral Area, who spearheaded the protest, said the company has repeatedly ignored previous complaints. She noted that despite several letters sent to the firm and the Municipal Assembly, no compensation has been paid to injured residents or those whose properties have been damaged.

“We are not against development. We welcome investment. But we demand that quarrying be done responsibly, in line with Ghana’s environmental and safety regulations,” Opoku said.

She appealed directly to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Minerals Commission to conduct an independent investigation into the company’s operations. She also alleged that some traditional authorities had attempted to discourage the demonstration, which she said only deepened the residents’ sense of neglect.

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One-Week Ultimatum – What Residents Demand

In their petition, the residents have given Day Shine Company Limited exactly one week—until Wednesday, August 5, 2026—to:

· Cease blasting activities pending a full environmental and safety audit.
· Provide immediate compensation to all affected homeowners and injured residents.
· Implement a transparent notification system for future blasting.
· Begin remediation of polluted water sources and damaged farmlands.

Should the company fail to respond, the residents warned they would escalate the matter directly to the Asantehene at the Manhyia Palace, and if necessary, stage a larger protest in Kumasi.

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Municipal Assembly Promises Action

Receiving the petition, the Bekwai Municipal Coordinating Director, Philimon Ankoli, assured the residents that the Assembly would not turn a blind eye. He stated that the Assembly would immediately engage the EPA, the Minerals Commission, and the District Security Council to investigate the claims.

“We will ensure that the concerns raised are thoroughly addressed. The Assembly will invite all stakeholders, including the company, to a meeting within the next week,” Ankoli said, adding that the Assembly would provide feedback to the communities after the engagement.

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Company Yet to Respond

When contacted by reporters, the management of Day Shine Company Limited declined to comment, citing an ongoing internal review. However, sources within the company indicated that they were aware of the protests and would issue a formal statement after consulting with their legal and environmental teams.

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Regulatory Context

Ghana’s EPA and Minerals Commission require quarry operators to obtain environmental permits, conduct regular blasting risk assessments, and maintain buffer zones between operations and residential areas. Residents claim that Day Shine’s activities violate these standards, and they are calling for a suspension of its permit until a full audit is completed.

This is not the first controversy involving Day Shine. Local records indicate that the firm has faced complaints since it began operations three years ago, but this is the first time communities have united in a coordinated demonstration.

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A Community United

Despite the tension, the residents insist they are not opposed to the quarry’s existence. As one protester put it, “We want jobs, yes. But we also want to live without cracks in our roofs and dirt in our drinking water.”

As the one-week deadline ticks down, all eyes are now on the company, the Assembly, and the regulatory bodies to see whether justice and safety will prevail—or whether the residents will be forced to take their case to the highest traditional authority in the Ashanti Kingdom.

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