Mad Rush for Community Mining Registration ID cards in Ashanti Region- Ghana

BY ANIN AGYEI–

Photo Credit: Ministry of Lands and Nature Resources – Ghana

NEW AFRICA BUSINESS NEWS, Accra, Ghana- GOVERNMENT’S INTER-MINISTERIAL Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) through the Ministry of lands and Nature Resources have secured two separate mining concessions in Akrofrom district of Ashanti region to be used for Community Mining Programme in replacing illegal mining (Galamsay).

Over three thousand (3,000) illegal small scale miners also known as (Galamseyer) in the district mainly the youth have so far been registered onto the Community Mining Programme (CMP) project in Akrofrom district alone.

Government CMP is aimed at formalising mining in selected communities across the country after government halt of irresponsible illegal small scale mining across the country continue to threaten Ghana’s vegetation cover and river bodies.

The Coordinator for the IMCIM programme, Mr Kwame Adusei, is however, satisfied with the cooperation of the traditional leaders, the miners mainly the youth and government appointees in the district to make the programme a success.

“Government in 2017 recognized serious effect of irresponsible mining on the country’s vegetation cover and river bodies thereby banning illegal mining activities across the country. As you know evil finds job for idle hands so government has secured at least 92 Kilometers square land seize concession at Kotopreso and Okyerekrom in Akrofrom district for the community mining programme.”

“This programme will return all miners to site to mine as responsible miners under strict supervision to promote best mining practice to safe guide water bodies and other precious vegetation over there’’ he revealed.

Mr Adusei added that in the next two weeks we are here to issue out digital Identity Cards to those registered onto the programme which will contain names, age, date of birth and date registered among other required information.

“Am highly impressed with the turn out so far before 2pm we have issued out 120 cards just a start of the progrommed which is very impressive,’’ he acknowledged.

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area, Mr. Maurice Jonas Woode, commended the government for the initiative not just to create employment for his district making sure irresponsible mining become a thing of the past.

“When currently majority of the youth here are jobless because of government ban in illegal mining, I’m very happy with the new opportunity to return our miners to field to work as responsible miners.”

“I will like to use this opportunity to tell all my people who have already been register to came in person for their ID cards, those who have not registered, I believe there’s another opportunity for you as well’’ Woode pleaded.

The registrants commended government for the efforts making to return them into business so they can also meet their daily bread.

“We the small scale miners are dying from hunger therefore, we are ready to comply with whatever the government want us to do. Once it will give us money to feed our families and help the society why not.”

We will like to urge government to speed up the community mining processing to return us to site very soon because we seriously need money to pay our creditors’’ Kwame Anim assured pleaded.

BY ANIN AGYEI, NEW AFRICA BUSINESS NEWS, AFRICA CORRESPONDENT

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