The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has said indigenes should allowed to embark on sustainable Community Mining Scheme.
He, therefore, asked the government to effectively use the Manual on Community Mining Scheme to curb any health hazards, land degradation and pollution of water bodies.
Mr Kofi Buah who doubles as the Deputy Minority Leader in Parliament, made the appeal when he called on the Chief of Esiama, Nana Ainoo-Kwagyan III when he called on him at his palace.
Mr Kofi Buah said a National Democratic Congress (NDC)-led government would roll out a Community Mining Scheme in a sustainable and holistic manner, which he noted would not destroy water bodies and the land.
Mr Kofi Buah indicated that good mining practices from countries like Australia could be emulated to save the country’s water bodies from pollution and lands from degrading.
The Deputy Minority Leader said, “reports from hospitals about the debilitating effects of unsustainable mining activities popularly called galamsey on newborn babies without essential parts of their bodies due to cyanide and toxin in water bodies, called for concern to abate the galamsey nuisance in all forms”.
The Chief of Esiama, Nana Ainoo-Kwagyan III thanked Mr Kofi Buah for making his position on Community Mining Scheme known to the people and that he and his elders also shared the same view with Mr Kofi Buah.
Nana Ainoo-Kwagyan III said Esiama was one of the 14 towns earmarked for the Community Mining Scheme which is expected to provide jobs to the teeming youth to better their living conditions.
The Chief urged the government to ensure that the Community Mining Scheme was done in a sustainable and holistic manner by avoiding pollution of river bodies and degrading the land.
He also appealed to the government to make land reclamation a topmost priority as the Community Mining Scheme progressed.
Nana Ainoo-Kwagyan III reminded Ghanaians that “our forebears traded in gold mining activities without polluting water bodies and degrading the land, so why now.”
GNA
JP/KOA/AD
Feb. 22,2024
