The Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) is set to overhaul security measures at the National Assay Centre, situated within the Aviance Cargo Terminal at Kotoka International Airport in Accra.
This decision follows a disruption on Tuesday (17 December) where a mob led by National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Organiser Joseph Yammin, stormed the facility in an attempt to seize bullion bars being processed for the Bank of Ghana (BoG).
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show (ABS) on Thursday (19 December), PMMC’s managing director, Nana Akwasi Awuah, recounted the chaotic scenes that unfolded.
“The information I have from my staff over there was that when the mob attacked, they beat the security manned at the gate and then forcibly opened the gate to assess the lab,” Awuah revealed.
He emphasised the gravity of the breach, given the lab’s location. “That entire area is a security zone,” the PMMC Managing Director said.
The incident has sparked serious concerns about security at the assay centre, which handles sensitive operations, including processing gold for the BoG.
Awuah pointed to existing security measures, which include police, military, and private security personnel alongside PMMC staff, as evident in widely circulated videos of the incident.
“As far as BoG operations are concerned, whenever there is gold coming for BoG, they bring their bullion vans, their security detail, which includes their private security together with police and then the military.”
“So if you look at the video circulating on social media concerning this incident, you will find that there are policemen there; there are military there, and there are other security officials there, including PMMC’s own security personnel.”
However, he acknowledged that the attack has highlighted critical vulnerabilities.
“The incident of Tuesday has certainly given us cause for concern,” Awuah admitted. “And it will mean that we need to review the security arrangement within that enclave in order to reinforce or strengthen it.”
Awuah also addressed the toll of the attack on PMMC staff, many of whom were left shaken by the ordeal.
He stressed the importance of rebuilding their confidence before resuming operations.
“We need to be able to calm them down as a result of the shock that they received from Tuesday’s incident,” Awuah said.
“We need to be able to assure them that their safety and security is intact, so long as they are doing the right thing and that they can return to work with that sound mind.”
The National Assay Centre, a critical hub in Ghana’s precious minerals ecosystem, remains closed as these reviews are underway.
Reporting by Leroy Hawkson
