Keep Mining Companies out of Forest Reserves – NGO urges Gov’t

GNA – Mr Raphael Godlove Ahenu, Chief Executive Officer
of African Media Aid/Global Media Foundation, a Sunyani-based non-governmental
organization, on Friday advocated a review of the mining law to safeguard the country’s
forest reserves.
  He particularly expressed regret about the government’s intentions to give lease to
Newmont Ghana Gold Limited to mine in the Ajenua Bepo forest reserve in the Eastern
region and urged President John Evans Atta Mills to reverse the decision.
  Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Sunyani, Mr Ahenu
noted that the issues of the protection of the biodiversity, climate change and depletion
of the vegetative cover had assumed national and international importance.
  It was, therefore, unfortunate for the government to give lease to mining companies
in the forest reserves, he said, adding that "the current situation where the law says
that two per cent of total land area in any forest reserve may be converted into mining
is not the best".
  Mr Ahenu said mining companies must be compelled by law to show the boundaries
of their concessions publicly to enable mining communities to engage in sustainable
land use and management practices.
"The practices where mining companies do not clearly mark their boundaries makes
mining communities to live in fear of losing their source of livelihoods to the mining
companies", he stated.
  Mr Ahenu suggested that capacity building workshops should be organized for
communities in mining areas to empower them to monitor and evaluate the activities of
miners.
   He said the Foundation was initiating a training programme to build the capacities of
mine and forest communities so that they could check the activities of mining and
timber companies.
  Mr Ahenu mentioned Brong-Ahafo, Ashanti, Eastern, Western and Northern Regions
as potential beneficiaries from the pilot programme and solicited the support of District
and Municipal Assemblies to make the programme a success.
GNA