The Public Relations Officer of Earl International Group (GH) Gold Limited, Albert Azongo, says the company remains open to engaging former employee Godfred Nongbezina Nabil over his request for a functional prosthetic limb following a workplace accident that resulted in the loss of his right arm.
Mr Azongo made the remarks on A1 Radio while responding to an investigative report by The Fourth Estate on Mr Nabil’s ongoing dispute with the mining company over the provision of a prosthetic replacement.
The comments follow The Fourth Estate’s August 21, 2026 report, which highlighted Mr Nabil’s continued efforts to secure a functional prosthetic arm after losing his limb in an underground mining accident in May 2023.
Acoording to the report, Mr Nabil, a former mechanic with Earl International, has maintained that he requires a functional prosthesis, rather than a cosmetic replacement, to regain greater independence and improve his ability to work.
Responding to the report, Mr Azongo said Earl International’s position should not be construed as a refusal to support Mr Nabil’s prosthetic needs.
He said the company’s doors remained open, adding that if a functional prosthesis was what Mr Nabil required, the company was prepared to consider the request.
Mr Azongo, however, also disclosed that the company had already paid Mr Nabil GH¢207,712 in compensation following the workplace accident.
Documents relating to the case show that the compensation agreement between Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited and Mr Nabil was signed on August 9, 2024.
The agreement states that Mr Nabil was employed as a mechanic on May 17, 2023, when he sustained an injury arising out of and in the course of his employment.
Under the agreement, Earl International agreed to pay him GH¢207,712 as compensation under the Workmen’s Compensation Law, 1987 (PNDC Law 187).
A separate acquittal receipt signed by Mr Nabil on the same date records that he received the full amount as compensation for the injury sustained in the course of his duties. The document further states that he had been fully and adequately compensated and had nothing further to claim in respect of the same injury.
The amount was also confirmed by the Bolgatanga Labour Department in a July 29, 2024 letter, which indicated that GH¢207,712 was the compensation payable to Mr Nabil.
According to the employer’s accident report, Mr Nabil was working as a mechanic when the accident occurred underground on May 17, 2023.
The report states that his right hand became trapped in a rotating conveyor belt of a gathering arm, resulting in the amputation of his right hand between the elbow and shoulder.
The Fourth Estate’s investigation reported that Mr Nabil remained trapped for about 30 minutes before he was rescued. He was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment and later underwent an amputation above the elbow.
A medical report contained in the compensation documents describes his injury as a “mangled right upper limb” and assesses his incapacity at 70 percent, with the degree of incapacity considered permanent.
While Earl International says it remains willing to consider Mr Nabil’s request, the two sides have differing accounts of how the dispute over the prosthetic limb arose.
According to The Fourth Estate, the company said medical professionals had initially advised that a non-functional prosthesis would be sufficient, citing the cost and maintenance requirements associated with a functional device.
The company subsequently requested an invoice for the proposed prosthesis but was later informed that Mr Nabil wanted a functional replacement.
Based on The Fourth Estate report, Mr Nabil has disputed that account, insisting that he had requested a functional prosthesis from the outset, including during a visit to a prosthetics and orthotics centre in Duayaw Nkwanta.
The Fourth Estate also reported that Earl International had raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding the accident and alleged that Mr Nabil failed to follow safety procedures.
However, the investigative report said its review of an earlier media interview did not find Mr Nabil admitting that he used his bare hand to remove stones from the machine, as alleged. The report said he instead described using water to wash sludge from the machine.
The compensation documents available to A1 Radio, about the case do not contain a finding that the accident resulted from misconduct or that Mr Nabil was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time.
With the compensation settlement documented, the focus of the dispute now centres on Mr Nabil’s request for a functional prosthetic limb and the extent of Earl International’s responsibility for providing and maintaining it.
Mr Azongo’s comments indicate that the company is not shutting the door on the request.
Rather, he says Earl International remains willing to engage with Mr Nabil on the matter, particularly if the need for a functional prosthesis can be established.
Speaking to the journalist who wrote the story, Salifu Abdul-Gafaru Ayamdoo, the request of Mr Nabil, however, is not simply about replacing a lost limb.
According to him, Mr. Nabil maintained that a functional prosthesis could help him regain greater independence, improve his ability to work and adapt to life after an accident that has left him with a permanent disability.
Read The Fourth Estate’s original investigation
Source: Bolgafmonline.com |102.7 MHz | Bolgatanga
