Minerals Commission Pledges To Fix Galamsey Menace

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has inaugurated a nine-member Minerals Commission Board with a task to ensure an uninterrupted implementation of the Multilateral Mining Integrated Project (MMIP).

In keeping the charge placed on them, the board pledged to unravel the conundrum facing the mining sector in order to strike a balance between the sustenance of small scale farming and the complete removal of the adverse effects of illegal mining (galamsey).

According to the Chairman for the Commission, Mr Samson Kwaku Boafo, though a lot of livelihoods are dependent on the small-scale mining sector, the country cannot allow its unregulated and haphazard mining activities to destroy the environment.

Nonetheless, he guaranteed that foreign investors would get proper returns on their investments adding that, “their investments are safe and that Ghana is always opened to foreign direct investments in the mining sector.”

Mr Boafo further pleaded with the leadership of the small-scale mining industry, “to let cooler heads prevail in their agitations and have faith in the governing board of the minerals commission that their grievances would be looked into.”

This appeal comes after government’s three months extension of ban placed on all forms of small-scale mining.

Capable Team

At the inaugural ceremony held in Accra, on Monday, the Deputy Minister in charge of Mines, Barbara Oteng Gyasi, charged the board to work closely with the MMIP to ensure government achieves its objective of having a streamlined and properly managed small-scale mining sector

“If the vision of harnessing the mining sector for economic transformation is to be achieved, it requires leadership by experienced, knowledgeable, resilient and dynamic persons. And I have no doubt that these are the quality of persons that His Excellency the President has appointed to the Commission,” she said.

New MC Members

The members of the newly inaugurated Minerals Commission Board are Hon. Samson Kwaku Boafo, Chairman; Mr. Kwaku Antwi-Boasiako, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Minerals Commission, Mr Martin Koku Ayisi and Ing. Adam Tettey Larbie.

The others are Mr. Joseph Albert Quarm, Madam Esther Dey, Mrs. Judy Nakour Crayem, Madam Lydia Alhassan and Mr. James Koligu Ataki.

Source: Grace Ablewor Sogbey/ [email protected]