According to him, the MoU is to ensure that the workers of the company who will be affected by the redundancy programme are re-engaged under the new arrangement.

Gold Fields Ghana Limited in December 2017 announced that it is changing its operational strategy from owner mining to contract mining.

[contextly_sidebar id=”nHTNsOQEdP3MydIsfagdJwW7rPc3KPa0″]The situation is leading to the laying off of some 1,500 workers at its Tarkwa mine in the Western Region.

The decision has been heavily resisted by the Ghana Mine Workers’ Union which has accused the company of acting in bad faith leading to a demonstration on Monday, March 12, 2018.

This was after the Union’s attempt to get the company to reverse its decision in court failed.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, the sector Minister assured that his outfit is doing everything possible to bring the issue to a halt.

“Yesterday [ Monday], we had a very extensive meeting together with the Ministry of Labour and the Union executives to resolve this issue. So we have resolved and signed some Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry and union. So that is what we are doing to ensure that we bring this issue to a halt.”

Peter Amewu explained that the new contract mining arrangement is in the interest of the workers and Ghana as a whole, adding that it will boost local content.

“The union is not against contract mining just like government itself. The rationale basically for contract mining across the world is the idea of local content involvement. We are coming out with a local content agenda which is saying that of course you need to get Ghanaian companies to also do the mining, so this is in the interest of the country. The principles of the layoffs are such that whoever comes in as the staff contractor is going to re-engage those workers and those workers are going be paid 25 percent of their annual salary for every year that they work and the workers themselves are happy.”

“What we have to guard against and make sure it doesn’t happen is that those people who are going to laid off and paid their redundancy packages, we have to make sure those same people are going to be re-engaged and the understanding they have with the mother union is that they will be given the first right of option to make sure that they are engaged by the staff contractor,” he added.

Layoffs will impact mining sector adversely

Meanwhile, the Third World Network is predicting a drastic change in large scale mining in Ghana if Goldfields Ghana’s new mining plan is allowed to sail through.

According to the Coordinator for the Third World Network, Dr. Yao Graham, this is also likely to impact the revenue from the mining sector going forward.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Dr. Yao Graham explained that the issues must be carefully monitored.

“The quality of work, remuneration and security of the workers are being cut, and it is important to also know that once this precedent is set, the nature of large scale mining sector work as we know it, is going to end forever because Anglogold Ashanti is also lining up to carry out something similar. All over the world what happens to casualisation is that the company protects its returns and the share of value that is created going to the labour force drops,” he argued.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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He called for strong collaboration with members of the association to help win the fight against illegal mining.

[contextly_sidebar id=”YYhe6viCThV9AxxBH1qDPSTqMLXdIwxe”]He made the pronouncement today at a meeting with the Association of Small Scale Miners.

The Miners were seeking clarity on government’s intentions following an impending expiration of a 6-month ban placed on small-scale mining in the country.

John Peter Amewu who had earlier given an indication that the ban would be extended urged the members of the Association to collaborate with the ministry to sanitize the mining industry.

He intimated that “Operation Vanguard are doing their best, but I have gone round and the little involvement I have seen with your team far out weight what is happening, we must be frank, because you know the places, you were not involved in this, you were burning and clearing, because you know the area, now you have absented yourself all away from this thing.”

“My visit to the site was to ascertain the progress we have made and I say, until responsible mining goes on, until we can walk to river Pra to fetch water and drink, if you cannot do all these, you lift the ban. We want to solve the problem so that we can go to Ankobrah and drink from it, let ask ourselves, if anybody is able to drink the water, we will not go back and mine.”

He reiterated the NPP Government’s commitment towards the fight but bemoaned the lack of cooperation between government and the small-scale mining companies.

“I had the opportunity to visit a mining community, I saw an old lady with a yellow gallon going to fetch water, I asked her, what the water was for, and she responded, it was to mix with chemicals to spray her cocoa farm, but just at the outskirt of her farm there was a stream, I asked why not fetch from there and she replied that anytime she uses that water with the chemical to spray her farm it doesn’t work, because the water is heavily polluted, this doesn’t give an encouragement and hope that we achieving anything collectively,” Amewu said.

“I am a part of a government, and this government has a very well crafted manifesto, it based on this manifesto, that Nana Addo stated he will sanitize the small-scale mining sector and it, based on some of this, claimed his government was voted into power. It is this majority that will question the government. I am very much disappointed that the collective understanding, that we have to address this problem has not been fully materialized, I wish the various bottled water by you were fetched from rivers like Bia, Tano, Ankobrah for us to drink. There is a possibility of an extension, to put a complete ban on river bodies mining.  As I speak there is a still a moratorium on issues of new of new license.”

Mr. Amewu who tasked the Small Scale to collaborate with government to win the fight against illegal mining said the government will provide funding to support the course.

He told the media of the ministry support to include members of the association in policing the activities of illegal miners. He asked them to come up with a budget for the ministry’s approval.

Mr. Amewu stated, “ we are asking them to come in and help us with what we have started in clearing the rivers, and of course, they are willing. But their major concern has to do with resources. It is true we did not make any resources available to them in the initial stage and they complained of resources. So we have asked them to bring a budget, we will look into that budget and make sure we advance some money for them to help. They identify and know the places that these guys are working in the river bodies so they assist us together with the Operation Vanguard so we should be able to clear that.”

“The second point is that we as a government will not say Ghanaians will not mine, Ghanaians will definitely mine. But we must set up clear strategies as we agree that the MMIP will come to address. So we’ve agreed on beginning an auditing process which will involve members of the Minerals Commission and the Small Scale Association to start some form of auditing of the licenses. Some of the licenses have expired.  Under the Small Scale, we’ll set up an intelligence unit which is going to control the tracking of the devices and applications. And we’re going to have what we call Mining Guards. We just want their help, we want their collaborations. They have started very well with us and we don’t want them to backslide. They also expressed some concerns and these concerns, of course, are very genuine.”

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By: Kojo Agyeman/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to him, the drones, when acquired, can also help the country monitor and deal with the incidents of illegal logging in the country’s forest reserves.

[contextly_sidebar id=”4IFwyQdIhGBoNixuc6aNPW45NL4vXp34″]Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Amewu said the plan to use drones is part of the government’s grand strategy to effectively clamp down on illegal miners whose activities have devastated the country’s land and water resources.

“These are quite complex, high-level specification drones that we want to apply,” he said.

Mr. Peter Amewu first announced the government’s plans to procure the monitoring devices in March 2017, but received some backlash from the public over the $3 million cost.

But Mr. Amewu said the specification of the drone merits the cost. He told Richard Dela Sky that the drones had special features that would greatly boost the anti-galamsey efforts.

“These drones are non-visible when they are up in the air. They are sound-free and they can zoom down to about five meters even at a height of about 3, 000 kilometres. It can go to as far as about 27, 000 feet above sea level. It can do a lot of things and it’s very complex,” he said.

“We want to do things properly. We are looking at alternative ways of financing the two sets we’re getting. The batteries can last for about 14 hours. We can use it for a variety of projects, like the protection of our forests,” he added.

Mining ban may be extended by 3-months – Amewu

Meanwhile, Peter Amewu has said that the government may extend the current ban on small-scale mining by at least 3 months.

He said although there have been some positive gains from the ban currently in force, it is unsatisfactory.

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According to him, the despite some positive results yielded so far in the fight against galamsey in the country, the outcome of the campaign, in general, is still unsatisfactory.

[contextly_sidebar id=”UdCN88jB9hejKf6hWgLN3VWPB3r53l2Z”]The initial six-month ban was set to end in October 2017, and Peter Amewu, earlier suggested that an extension was inevitable because the moratorium had not achieved a substantial amount of its objectives.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Thursday, Amewu, who refused to score the government’s anti-galamsey efforts higher than five out of ten, believes that an extension of the ban by at least three months could yield significant strides in the campaign.

“Looking at something similar to what has happened[so far], we could go for about 50% [of the six-month ban]. If we concentrate on the water bodies, which is the heart of the whole fight, we should be able to clear it within the next three to six months,” he said.

Amewu had told the media earlier in October that President Nana Akufo-Addo “thinks sincerely that a lot more needs to be done and we would all have to look into it.”

Per his assessment, the government is still far off from its targets, in the fight against illegal mining.

‘$3m drones have unique specs’

John Peter Amewu also responded to concerns about plans by the government to procure three million dollars worth of drones to aid in the galamsey fight.

With many questioning the amount of money earmarked for the procurement of the drones, Amewu defended the decision and the planned expenses, stating that drones had special features that would greatly boost the anti-galamsey efforts.

“These are quite complex, high-level specification drones that we want to apply. These drones are non-visible when they are up in the air. They are sound-free and they can zoom down to about five meters even at a height of about 3, 000 kilometres. It can go to as far as about 27, 000 feet above sea level. It can do a lot of things and it’s very complex,” he said.

“We want to do things properly. We are looking at alternative ways of financing the two sets we’re getting. The batteries can last for about 14 hours. We can use it for a variety of projects, like the protection of our forests.”

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Regional Minister said his office received with shock the decision by the Regional Lands Officer, Gershon Tsraa, to grant a 99-year lease to private entities to occupy strategic lands located around major government installations.

The appropriation he said, were mostly done during the transition period when the new government was about to take over power.

Dr. Letsa said the decision does not only threaten the security of top government officials residing in those areas, but also questions morality as the integral segment of the communities that bequeathed the lands to government seethe with anger, while those lands are being given out to private individuals.

“Indeed, I have received an out-pour of complaints since I took office as the President’s Representative for the Volta Region about this Infilling Exercise. The complaints were from occupants of public bungalows and ordinary people. The Infilling Exercise is a massive and extensive exercise where allocations have been made too close to the Residency, bungalows of government institutions and public officials to the total neglect of the attendant security implications.  I, being Regional Minister, have made known my outrage at the concept behind the exercise as a whole, and had without mincing words, called for an immediate halt to the exercise” he said.

Beneficiaries according to the Minister, took advantage of prime areas around the Residency, Ring road and Kabore enclaves, where top officials including the Municipal Chief Executive, the BNI Boss, Police Commander, Director of Health Services and others reside.

He said “notwithstanding, the so-called Infilling Exercise by the Volta Regional Lands Commission has created numerous plots of land for allocation to individuals which exhausts the entire land space which will be necessary for future state uses or projects”.

Addressing the media on Sunday, the Minister said the land officer has been directed by the sector minister John Peter Amewu, to step aside for further investigations and review of the said transactions.

“Statutes may well permit the Lands Commission to grant leases and licenses, but where the land is one held in trust by the President on behalf of the people of Ghana, there is a duty to be guided by that which is in the greater interest such as will not disregard their sensibilities as has occurred in this exercise. I am reliably informed however, that the plots have been demarcated, leases executed and few persons have paid awaiting registration. They should be reassured their monies shall be returned upon proof of the payment should the assessment lead to the reversal of the exercise” he added.

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By: King Nobert Akpablie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Volta Regional Minister bemoans leasing of gov’t lands appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The school was recently closed down following recent clashes over the acquisition of its land.

Speaking at the inauguration of the governing board of the school, Lands and Natural Resources Minister, John Peter Amewu, said the reopening is in line with government’s drive to get enough human resource to execute land title registration processes.

Tensions at the school escalated when students clashed with land guards on the school’s premises in protest against the sale of their school land by the Lands Commission on Tuesday, May 2, 2017.

MP backs sale of school land for shopping mall

In December 2016,  a Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Lands and Forestry, Albert Abongo, condemned a demonstration by students of the Ghana School of Surveying and Mapping over what they say claim is an illegal sale of their land to a private developer.

Allegations are that the land has been sold to some foreign investors to build a shopping mall but the students argue that the Lands Commission failed to consult them before taking the decision.

Board of Governors

Alhaji Sulemana Mahama – Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources

Jones Ofori-Boadu – Lands Commission

Edwin Addo-Tawiah – Survey and Mapping Division of Lands Commission

Fredrick Bediaoko Mensah – The Principal, GSSM

Dr. Isaac Dadzie – Geomatic Engineering Dept. KNUST

Mark Brookman Amissah – Ghana Institution of Surveyors

Bright Joseph Nsiah – GSSM, SRC

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By: Kojo Agyeman/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The new office complex which is to ensure a better working environment for workers to deliver efficient and value for money services to the public.

During a tour of the facility, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Minister, John Peter Amewu indicated that the complex would ensure a speedy and less cumbersome process of land acquisition and registration especially in the region.

He added that it will also provide a single window of client service provision, as well as bring all the agencies involved in the acquisition of land under one roof.

The project is supported by the World Bank.

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By: Kojo Agyeman/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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He said although some have argued that her alleged sexual encounters with some state officials shield her from prosecution, he does not believe it will influence the application of the country’s laws against her for her involvement in illegal mining.

[contextly_sidebar id=”aipDJOnLbGx0cQ5YpGQZ9dJYxCUyE2Es”]“It will be a normal process. It is a worry when people say she is powerful, who can be more powerful than the 27 million Ghanaians who voted for the government to come and address their concerns. The majority of this country is more powerful than a single individual so I don’t see any power in the woman,” Mr Amewu said in an interview with Citi News.

He added, “I understand that there are issues that have to do with immorality I mean that has nothing to do with the mining scheme. Who will want to hold someone to ransom because the person is holding them to an immoral attitude by a counterpart?”

Aisha Huang, a Chinese woman believed to be deeply engaged in illegal mining in Ghana was arrested earlier this month over her involvement in the galamsey, in spite of the country’s clear laws that frowns on the practice.

She together with four other Chinese Nationals with the support of Ghanaians, was reportedly mining in an area belonging to the Volta Resources Company Limited.

Further details later emerged, suggesting Ms. Huang’s notoriety in undertaking illegal small-scale mining in the country.

It is reported that she is very influential and wields a lot of power due to the backing she receives from some high-profile state officers including top security personnel.

It was later alleged that she had granted sexual favours to some of the top officials and continues to enjoy their support due to threats of blackmail if they attempt to expose her.

But according to the Lands minister, the state will not relent in applying the law to deal with her.

Aisha Huang is currently in prison custody awaiting the next hearing of her case on May 23, 2017.

Meanwhile, a pressure group, OccupyGhana is raising concerns with the laxity of the charges brought against the suspected Chinese illegal miners.

Making reference to what it said purports to be the charge sheet in the case of Republic v. En Huang & 4 Others, the pressure group said the offenses laid and filed against the suspects did not match the severity of the crimes they committed.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post We’ll deal decisively with Aisha Huang despite threats – Amewu appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, this could serve as an alternative source of livelihood for the illegal miners who have been ordered to cease their activities.

[contextly_sidebar id=”8XM1OFZg51DNt8fb9c7UvAU8iQ1BD7BU”]Speaking on Eyewitness News on Monday, the Minister said, the government through a 5-year Multilateral Mining Integrated Project (MMIP) will roll out a livelihood empowerment project for the illegal miners to create an employment avenue for them.

“For those who want to be engaged in the mining activities, they will be absorbed into the MMIP. With the reclamation across this country, it is estimated that about 1.5% of the earth surface has been degraded as a result of this activity. That alone is going to provide jobs for the communities that want to re-engage in reclamation and planting of trees. The MMIP is an attempt to absorb all factory hands engaged in illegal activities to be absorbed back within a period of 5 years where exploration activities will be done in areas that are prospective and these factory hands will be brought here to mine,” he said.

Mr. Amewu added that, the government wanted to ensure that the sector is sanitized and devoid of illegal miners to ensure effective regulation and protection of the country’s environment.

Many communities in Ghana are currently suffering the negative effects of galamsey which has left most of Ghana’s fresh water bodies poisonous.

Thousands of acres of fertile farmlands have also been destroyed as a result of galamsey. Although Ghana’s laws are clear on illegal mining, the activity has been allowed to continue for more than two decades.

Citi FM has been at the forefront of media advocacy and crusade for action against the illegal activity. The station has among other things petitioned Parliament to act to stop the illegal activity.

Some illegal miners have challenged government’s fight against the menace, indicating that they do not have an alternative source of livelihood.

But the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources has said that government will provide an alternative source of livelihood for them.

He noted that, until the reclamation exercise is completed, the illegal miners will not be allowed to engage in any form of mining activity.

Threats of losing votes in election

In a related development, Mr. Peter Amewu has said that he will not compromise his fight against galamsey over the fear of losing the votes of illegal miners at the next election.

Although some of the illegal miners have threatened not to vote for the incumbent government over their stance on illegal mining, the Minister said he would not renege on his efforts to stop the menace which has serious negative effect on the country’s environment.

According to him, although the government seeks the interest of the minority illegal miners, it will not sacrifice the collective interest of the country for them.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citfimonline.com/Ghana

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According to the Council, the practice threatens the survival of the future generation if not given the needed attention and checked.

[contextly_sidebar id=”IjV1ec3aQhWl5Ib3aNfX3y4L72HU85O3″]Many communities in Ghana are currently suffering the negative effects of galamsey which has left most of Ghana’s fresh water poisonous. Thousands of acres of fertile farmlands have also been destroyed as a result of galamsey. Although Ghana’s laws are clear on illegal mining, the activity has been allowed to continue for more than two decades.

Citi FM has been at the forefront of media advocacy and crusade for action against the illegal activity.

The station has among other things petitioned parliament to act to stop the illegal activity.

The government in reaction to the massive campaign also being carried out by a Media coalition has commenced a major operation to rid communities of galamsey activities to save the country’s lands and water resources from further pollution.

But according to the General Secretary of Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, Apostle Samuel Antwi, more has to be done to completely address the menace.

In a Citi News interview, he said, “we must continue the fight. All of us; the media has a role to play. They should continue what they have started. The Church also have a role, we appeal to Pastors to continue to preach, talk about it from the Pulpit and sensitive the people to fight against it,” he said.

He added that the incident of illegal mining in the country was a national security threat that needed the involvement of all stakeholders.

“In the end, everybody in Ghana must be concerned and must fight against it. We consider it seriously as a national threat, it is more of a security issue now because the future of this country is at stake,” he said.

In a related development, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu has urged illegal miners to take advantage of the numerous opportunities offered by the government under the Multilateral Mining Integrated Project (MMIP) to make a living.

He said the MMIP, a five-year initiative adopted by the Ministry, embodies a livelihood empowerment project for the miners that will engage the illegal miners and the youth in tree planting activities to reclaim the lands that had been destroyed through mining.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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