The Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin has expressed disquiet over the Community Mining Programme introduced by government, saying it has no promising future for the country.
He advised government to concentrate on the Planting Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme instead of the community mining programme.
Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin who described the agricultural policy as a sustainable one said, that will take Ghana out of our economic woes.
The Okyenhene made the remarks when the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, paid a courtesy call on him at his Palace at Kyebi on Monday, July 29, 2019.
According to the Okyenhene, the future of Akyem Abuakua depends on agriculture and not mining.
“Our option is planting for food and jobs because it’s sustainable,” he said.
He added that “Planting for food and jobs. I will say again and again is our future and not community mining.”
Government introduced the Community Mining scheme after it lifted the ban on illegal mining as part of efforts to promote responsible and sustainable mining.
But the Okyenhene was of the strong conviction that “Community Mining and Planting for Food and Jobs cannot co-exist.”
Explaining his opposition to the community mining policy, he said “we are worried not because it’s a new policy. We are worried about whether we are going to achieve a different result.”
He pointed out the destruction that has been caused to river bodies and the environment over several decades and how Ghana has not benefitted as it should from mining.
He made particular reference to the disparity in development between Johannesburg in South Africa and Obuasi in Ghana.
While both Obuasi and Johannesburg are known for mining, he said, the latter was developed while the former remained in a poor state.
The Okyenhene wondered why the Lands Ministry is in a ‘haste’ to go ahead with the Community mining programme when the reclamation exercise for lands destroyed by illegal mining activities was not yet completed.
The Community Mining Programme is aimed at formalizing mining in selected communities across the country.
With at least one community mine expected to be set up in each of the mining districts in the country, the community mines are expected to provide job openings for over 4,500 miners that were trained by the government at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa.
At the ceremony to launch the pilot programme on Wednesday 24, July 2019, President Akufo-Addo said the Community Mining Programme would ensure that “mining will be done the right way, within the tenets of the law, and will not destroy our natural resources.”
But the Okyenhene who kicked against the scheme said the “Community Mining cannot co-exist with Planting for Food and Jobs .”
He lamented on how legal and illegal mining have destroyed river bodies and the environment over the years and how Ghana has not benefited from mining.
Kojo Agyeman | citinewsroom.com | Ghana
