Traditional leaders and small-scale miners have been urged to assist the government in developing a mining industry that will act as a catalyst for national growth, according to Lands and Natural Resources Minister Samuel Abdulai Jinapor.
Illegal mining, he said, continues to be a challenge to Ghana’s economy.
Prospecting and scouting licences have been suspended in all forest reserves and water bodies throughout the region, the Lands Minister told small-scale miners in Tarkwa on Tuesday, April 27, 2021.
He also mentioned that all mining equipment in those areas should be evacuated beginning Friday, April 30, 2021.
The Minister said that all parties would work together to conserve the land cover and water sources, which he referred to as “Red Zones” or “No-Go Zones.”
He went on to say that the illegal mining threat is a global issue that necessitates national intervention.
“We are helping the Minister and the government because this is a vital national assignment to save our environment,” said Dr. Rashid Pelpuo, Member of Parliament for Wa Central, who was present at the meeting.
Samuel Atta-Akyea, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Mines and Energy, also called on Ghanaians to work together to avoid illegal mining.
He emphasized that environmental depletion has no political party affiliation, and that miners would “mine the best way to preserve and protect the earth for future generations.”
Traditional leaders at the forum praised the government for taking measures to reduce the damage caused by illegal mining throughout the country.
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They vowed that Nananom in the Tarkwa region will continue to assist the government in evicting the draggers from the water sources and assisting the government in reclaiming the area’s polluted lands.
Nananom also advocated for chiefs to be included in the licensing process so that they can play a key role in maintaining sanity in the small-scale mining industry.
The Small-Scale Miners Association voiced concern about a shortage of suitable lands and financial support for their activities, which the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources and his entourage resolved to address.
SOURCE: ATLFMONLINE
