Okyenhene’s concerns against government’s community mining genuine – Small scale miners

The Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners is backing Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin who has threatened to resist the government’s community mining program.

According to the Okyenhene, the program which was introduced to regulate illegal small scale mining nationwide has rather degraded lands and caused pollution to water bodies.

At a meeting with the Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Acheampong, the Okyenhene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin threatened to lead a personal campaign against the program since it has become worse than the illegal small scale mining.

Speaking to Citi News, the General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners, Godwin Armah said the Okyenhene’s concerns are genuine.

“People are hiding behind community mining and perpetuating illegality. Any such activity that goes on in areas that have not been earmarked by the Minerals Commission and the Ministry of Lands is illegal. This is just like galamsey period.”

“The Okyenhene’s concerns are genuine. People just post the president’s stickers around and begin to mine illegally. These people with no licence whatsoever are mostly supported by their District Chief Executives. The Okyenhene is not wrong at all to refer to community mining as illegal mining in disguise.”

Government’s community mining program a disguised galamsey – Okyehene

The Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council has threatened to resist the government’s community mining program instituted in the Akyem area and other places in Ghana.

According to the traditional council, the program which was introduced to regulate illegal small-scale mining nationwide has rather further degraded lands and caused pollution to water bodies in the Abuakwa area.

Addressing the Eastern Regional Minister, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin said he will personally lead a campaign against the program since it has become worse than the illegal small scale mining it was seeking to address.

“We understand all documents and license needed for one to undertake mining rest in the bosom of the President in Accra, so if one obtains the licence then he will then bring it to the DCE at the local level where normally durbars are held to inform the people, but the chiefs do not have any say in it. When all is said, these guys will then approach the chiefs informing them about their acquired licence to mine in the community and will just present something small for the chiefs, but the chiefs will then be blamed after lands and water bodies are destroyed in the process”.