Accra, Feb.7, GNA— A five-member Ministerial Committee of inquiry has been set up to review the entire health and safety regime of the mining industry in the country.
The Committee will be chaired by Professor Richard K. Amankwah, Vice Chancellor (VC) of the George Grant University of Mines and Technology (UMaT).
Other members are Prof. Grace Ofori-Sarpong, representing the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences; Ms. Effie Oppong-Fosu, representing the Ghana Bar Association; Mr Benjamin Aryee, former Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission and Mr Kwesi Enyan, a mining engineer, former inspector of mines, and a former Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti.
The Committee, will among other duties, review the existing laws, regulations, and guidelines on health and safety standards in the mining industry, inquire into any matter relating to health and safety in the mining industry and make recommendations to Government for legislative, policy, and other reforms it may deem fit.
Mr Samuel A. Jinapor, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, who inaugurated the Committee on Monday, said the Committee had one month to present its report and may co-opt or form sub-committees where necessary.
He said after the tragic incident, which happened at Appiatse, Government had taken several actions at supporting the victims and towards the reconstruction of the community.
Mr Jinapor said the actions included Government’s visit and commiseration with the victims, commitment to paying in full, the medical bills of the injured, establishing an Appiatse Support Fund to support the victims and the community, and the inauguration of the Appiatse Reconstruction Committee to commence the processes of rebuilding the community.
“Already, I have received a report from the Minerals Commission and the three-member Committee I constituted to undertake independent investigations into the matter, and I have begun acting on their recommendations. In the course of this week, we will be updating the nation on some of the consequential actions following the report of the investigation,” he added.
He said, however, it would be completely heedless to concentrate solely on the Appiatse incident, to the neglect of other health and safety issues in the entire mining industry.
The Minister said unfortunate as the incident was, it still gave the opportunity to examine, comprehensively, the entire health and safety regime of the industry.
He said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s vision to make Ghana the mining hub of Africa required that they built a robust, safe and healthy mining and mine support services, that posed no risk to life and property, and that secured the welfare of workers and the public.
Mr Jinapor said his outfit was committed to working with all stakeholders to realise that objective.
Prof Amakwah thanked the Minister for the opportunity to serve the nation and pledged that they would carry out their duties as expected.
He said the Committee would embark on consultations both in Ghana and abroad and develop a document that would help the nation regarding health and safety standards of the mining industry and the mining communities.
The VC said after the disaster, UMaT sent personnel from its Disaster Emergency Management Hub to the incident site to take drone images of the space.
“Currently, we have the sizes of the crater that was created and the volumes of sands or earth that was moved based on the explosion.”
He said they also sent counselors to interact with people who were mentally affected by the disaster.
Prof Amankwah said UMaT would examine the ability of the soil to support building.
GNA