According to CEPIL, such powers were taken from the sector agencies when a new law – Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (703) was enacted to repeal a previous law introduced under the PNDC regime.

While speaking at a forum organized by WACAM in collaboration with Citi FM and Tropenbos Ghana, the Executive Director of CEPIL, Augustine Niber also called for the review of mining laws to eliminate the conflicting roles of sector agencies.

[contextly_sidebar id=”3mwEVslD75i5VWeu4EC9PplZOJCsb9Sb”]There are a number of Ministries and government agencies currently supervising activities that border on the environment in Ghana.

“…If we want to sustain the fight against irresponsible mining, we have to also reform our mining related institutions and eliminate the conflicting roles that have sometimes hindered their operations. We also need to provide the regulators with the power to prosecute offenders in their enforcement of the laws and regulation since under Act 703 as amended, the regulators do not have the power to prosecute unless through another authority,” Mr. Niber said.

“The mining regulators and related institutions should also be allowed to work if we are to make any headway. The institutions should be allowed to implement the laws and regulations governing the sector without fear or favour irrespective of who is involved and without interference from the powers that be if we want to put this issue of galamsey and irresponsible mining in this country to rest,” he added.

Mr. Niber further called for sanctions for the head of agencies found culpable of facilitating the work of illegal miners in the country.

“We should equally be ready to sanction any person in these institutions who are complicit or involved in any act of impropriety or illegality or condone the perpetuation of illegality by any person or company.”

The forum was held at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra on Wednesday and was on the theme: “Mobilizing national efforts for responsible mining.”

#StopGalamseyNow advocacy

Citi FM some few months ago began a #StopGalamseyNow campaign in a bid to put pressure on duty bearers to stop person engaged in small-scale illegal mining to halt operations.

This follows predictions by analysts that Ghana may soon import water from neighbouring countries of such activities are not checked immediately.

Below are the demands of Citi FM:

• The total cessation of all small and medium scale mining for a period of six months
• The cessation of the issuance of new mining licenses for a year
• The reclassification of mining categories to reflect the use of new/larger equipment
• The allowance of water bodies to regenerate their natural ecology
• Tree planting and a land reclamation project

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

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The group contends that, though the recent wave of public advocacy against illegal mining referred to as Galamsey is commendable, similar efforts should be targeted at large and small scale mining firms engaged in mining practices that destroy the environment.

[contextly_sidebar id=”4wKHtguwRHFMGoF7dEC6EAfjbr5U3vBX”]Executive Director of WACAM, Hannah Koranteng, told Citi News Citi News,“There is the need to dis-aggregate the whole process of irresponsible mining. I call it irresponsible mining because you have the multinational companies also getting involved in some level of this illegality. We have the small scale miners who are supposed to be mining also getting involved in the illegality, and then we have those with no authorization at all also getting involved.”

“Once we are able to dis-aggregate the whole stages of irresponsible mining, we should back the actions with some level of education and sensitization. With this, I would call on the President and his government to strengthen institutions, political will, and then we also need political direction because if we want to completely reduce the problems created by mining, then we should have better regulatory bodies,” she added.

#StopGalamseyNow

There has been intense pressure on government in recent times to stop illegal miners from polluting water bodies and farmlands.

Analysts have predicted that Ghana may soon import water if the trend persists.

This is because a number of water treatment plants have been shut down because their sources of water have been rendered useless due to galamsey activities.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Political direction needed to halt galamsey – WACAM appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

In a resolution adopted at the end of its Fifth National Conference, held in Kumasi, WACAM expressed worry over a statement by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that: “Ghana will experience severe water crisis by 2025, if nothing is done to reduce the increasing pollution of water bodies and forest degradation.”

The EPA anticipates that the country’s per capita water availability would be 1,000 cubic metres (m3) per annum, making Ghana a water-stressed country.”

The Conference alleged that the Government had granted mining leases to multinational mining companies to undertake open cast mining in forest reserves.

It claimed that the Newmont Akyem Mine, for instance, had been approved to undertake surface mining operations in the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve while AngloGold Ashanti had a lease to mine in Kubi Forest.

“There are plans to permit surface mining in Tano Suraw Forest Reserve; Obonsam Bepo Forest Reserve; Atiwa Range Forest Reserve; Fure; Tano and Offin Forest Reserves, which are part of Ghana’s 30 Globally Significant Biodiversity Areas,” WACAM alleged.

The Conference stated that the current Minerals and Mining Act, Act 703, 2006, provided adequate protection for the multinational mining companies but not the surface rights of affected mining communities.

“Conference is of the opinion that the Minerals and Mining Act is too weak to provide effective regulation of the current mining boom,” it said.

“Conference notes further that the Minerals and Mining Act, does not have important provisions such as the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), which would empower host communities to reject or accept a mining project based on the knowledge of the benefits and negative effects of mining on their livelihoods and pollution of the environment among other things.”

The Conference expressed worry that despite the visible environmental challenges of mining, the Minerals and Mining Act did not contain provisions on the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP).

It assured of WACAM’s readiness to share its experiences on a baseline mining study it conducted with stakeholders to ensure the compliance with the mining laws.

It also called on the Government to develop a comprehensive reform of mining regulations in the country with the active participation of NGOs; Faith-Based Organisations; Mining Communities; Trades Union Congress (Ghana); and Traditional Authorities, among other groups.”

The conference was attended by delegates and representatives from Tarkwa, Prestea /Dumasi, Nzema, Kenayse, Donkro-Nkwanta, Obuasi, Mumuadu, Akyem Nkwarteng,; Akyem Adausena and Sheini Zones.

The Conference discussed issues relating to the protection of the social, civil, political, economic and environmental rights of mining communities in relation to national policies, as well as the policies of WACAM that form the basis for its advocacy work.

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Source: GNA

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