From geological data the Dollar Power enclave, in the Bole district of the Savanna region is high in minerals, with huge deposits of gold, making it viable to establish large-scale mining operations. The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Samuel Jinapor, has therefore directed the Minerals Commission and the Ghana Geological Survey Authority to expedite action on the establishment of a community mining scheme in the area.
He gave the directive when a team from the Ministries of Lands and Natural Resources and Roads and Highways and officials of the Ghana Boundary Commission, inspected progress of work on a road under construction and other infrastructure at Dollar Power in the Savanna region. Good bilateral diplomatic relations have existed between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire since both countries attained independence.
The International Boundary Line between the two countries was established in 1928, by the British and Francophone colonial masters. Boundary Pillars were then constructed and mutually positioned by both countries to avoid any dispute. In 1973, the two countries conducted a joint demarcation exercise and constructed Boundary Pillars and Teak Trees along the International Boundary Line to reinforce the existing Boundary Pillars, located in Ghana’s Savanna region. Citizens from both countries have since respected the boundary demarcation and lived peacefully over the years.
The Bole District of the Savanna Region shares this common boundary with the Zanzan Province of la Côte d’Ivoire along the International Boundary Line. Bole, the nearest district capital is located 20 Km from the International Boundary Line. Small groups of Ghanaians from various parts of the country settled and created a small community along the Black Volta, approximately 1 to 5 km from the International Boundary Line.
One such community is known as DOLLAR POWER, formerly known as Sindi Community. Sindi has existed for many years, but lost its inhabitants through the invasion by slave raiders in 1897. The land was then used for farming by Ivorian farmers and herdsmen.
From history, in 2005, a businessman, named Mohammed Seidu, aka Dollar Power, realised that though the land is in Ghana and belongs to the Gonjas, Ivorian rebels controlled the area and were mining gold on the land. “Dollar Power” and his team then moved in and stopped the Ivorian rebels from coming to the area to mine.
Since then three communities have sprung up in the Sindi area; namely, Dollar Power, Dablaka, and Dollar Power Accra. Currently, there are about three thousand (3,000) inhabitants in the area, mainly involved in small-scale mining. In 2021, when the Ghana Boundary Commission first visited the area, a joint Ghana / Côte d’Ivoire assessment of the international boundary pillars that demarcate the two countries was done.
It showed that Dollar Power and adjoining communities on both sides of the boundary line, located within the Bui Wildlife Protection Zone which is designated as a Forest Reserve, were actively engaged in extensive small scale illegal mining, due to the high deposits of rock surface gold along the boundary area. The illegal mining activities have resulted in the removal of boundary pillars and forest degradation in the area.
Also observed was the underdevelopment and inaccessible nature of the area. Since then government’s attention has been drawn to Dollar Power and some development projects have started to open the place up for investment. On a recent visit to the area by government officials, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Samuel Jinapor, called on investors to partner Government to establish a large-scale mining operation in the area. The Chief of Dollar Power, Sindiwura Mahama Awudu Abott, through his Secretary said most of the community members are miners, and willing to work with the Government to regularise their activities.
