By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Bongo-Soe (U/E), Jan 26, GNA – A Community Mining Scheme aimed to promote inclusive and responsible mining and employment opportunities for the youth has been launched at Bongo-Soe, a mining community in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region.
It is the first community mining scheme in the region and second in Northern Ghana after Tinga community in the Savannah Region.
Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, at the launch, explained that the Community Mining Scheme would contribute to ensuring responsible mining that protected the environment and brought benefits to the indigenes.
He said it was established that northern Ghana was becoming a hub of mineral deposits of the country, particularly gold, despite widespread perception that mineral resources could only be found in Southern Ghana.
To this end, Mr Jinapor said government was committed to doing things differently in exploitation of these resources, adding that the community mining scheme was a strong indication of its resolve to exploit the mineral resources sustainably to benefit people as well as protect the land.
The Minister who acknowledged mistakes the country made in the past in allowing foreigners to benefit largely from mineral deposits in Southern Ghana at the expense of Ghanaians, said the situation must change.
“We must not repeat the mistakes of the past, we do not have to engage in mining activities in the Upper East Region in a manner that will degrade and destroy the landscape, water bodies and the environment”.
“We cannot also construct a mining industry in the region that will not benefit the indigenes who are true owners of these resources, we must have a paradigm shift and that will mean to construct a mining industry in Upper East Region that has regard for the environment, adheres to strict and highest principles of the environmental protocols which protects the environment and at the same time benefit the people,” he stated.
The Minister insisted that management of the mining scheme must adhere to all laid down protocols and developed manuals for community mining operations to curb illegal mining.
He warned that any one who breached the law would face the full strength of the law, including revocation of license.
“We also insist that the community mining operations must adhere to concurrent reclamation and re-vegetate.
The law as it stands now indicates that when you excavate, you have 30 days to reclaim and re-vegetate. We hope the mining scheme will provide employment to the youth and all the royalties that are due to the chiefs are paid,” Mr Jinapor said.
Mr Stephen Yakubu, Upper East Regional Minister, indicated that community mining scheme was necessary to sustainably tap into the huge mineral potentials of the region and appealed to the government to establish more of such schemes in Talensi, Zebilla and Sumbrungu communities.
Naba Baba Salifu Atamale Lemyaarum, Paramount Chief of Bongo Traditional Area, commended government for the initiative and expressed optimism that the project would help to reduce poverty in the district.
GNA