The Concerned Small Scale Miners Association of Ghana has endorsed the policies of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) on the extractive sector, particularly for small-scale miners.
President of the Association, Michael Kwadwo Peprah, says after perusing both campaign manifestos of the NPP and NDC, members are convinced that a John Mahama-led government will secure the environment through responsible mining.
For the past 7 years, majority of Ghanaian river bodies have been heavily polluted by illegal mining activities also known as galamsey. The situation which some have blamed on government appointees under the Akufo-Addo government has sparked a national conversation on the threats of the activities of galamsey.
As the country goes to the polls on December 7, licensed small scale miners believe their work has been hampered by the government while others in powerful places are allowed to mine in forest reserves.
In an engagement with small scale miners in Manso and it’s environs in the Ashanti Region, Peprah told his colleagues the NPP government cannot be trusted to sanitize the sector when Dr Mahamudu Bawumia wins the elections because it is their cohorts that are destroyin the rivers clandestinely.
He criticized the current government for what he described as a failure to address the challenges faced by small-scale miners.
According to Peprah, the NPP’s approach led by the military to curbing illegal mining has been ineffective, and in some cases, has only worsened the situation.
“In 2016, President Akufo-Addo promised to improve small-scale mining, but instead, we’ve seen legitimate miners lose their jobs while illegal operators, many with political connections, continue to destroy our natural resources with impunity,” Peprah said.
He pointed out that many small-scale miners struggle to obtain licenses due to bureaucratic delays and called for a decentralized licensing system, as proposed by the NDC.
Peprah praised the NDC’s manifesto, stating that it offers practical solutions to the sector’s problems, including decentralizing the licensing process and addressing the influence of illegal foreign miners. He emphasized that the NDC’s approach is the best way forward for Ghana’s mining sector, ensuring long-term benefits for both miners and the environment.
He said Reclamation of land by miners as promised by the NDc is feasible based on what they have read in the manifesto of the NDC, urging the miners to believe in the NDC and vote for John Mahama.
Source: Myxyzonline.com
