The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Prestea Huni Valley Constituency in the Western Region, Francis Adu Blay Koffie says the lethargic attitude of officials from the EPA and Minerals Commission towards their advisory and supervision work is a recipe for conflict in mining areas.<\/p>\n
He also says this posture also brings reproach to Ghana as a\u00a0corporate\u00a0entity.<\/p>\n
According to the legislator, the two institutions issue out mining licenses to investors without considering the true situation on the ground.<\/p>\n
This practice according to him, makes it impossible for local miners to detect which specific areas have been given to investors; a situation which is breeding confusion between two investors in his area.<\/p>\n
\u201cMinerals Commission officials do not go to the site to go and look out who actually owns that site. As I speak to you, one concession has been sold to two investors. Instead of them going down to the ground to verify for themselves actually what is happening over there they do not do so, they sit at the comfort of their offices \u00a0and issue out licenses,\u201d he explained<\/p>\n
In an interview with Citi News, Mr. Blay said the inability of the two institutions to demarcate areas for mining has resulted in miners mining sacred places and forest reserves.<\/p>\n
He cited instances where some sacred places and shrines within his constituency have been taken over by miners, resulting in the relocation of some gods.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt looks as if we are mining all sacred areas, the gods we are relocating them, if you come to my area, Assou Kofi has been relocated, cemeteries are being mined, if you go to other areas forest reserves are being mined, so we need to get a no go area,\u201d he suggested.<\/p>\n
The MP also indicated that the same attitude by the regulating bodies has prompted illegal miners known as \u2018galamsay\u2019 operators to continue with their harmful act giving \u2018no respect\u2019 to the type and place of their mine.<\/p>\n
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