Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, the vice president, has urged all parties involved to cooperate in order to create sustainable mineral riches that benefit everyone, particularly those living in mining villages.
She claims that because of the significant disparity between the massive profits made by the mining industry and the funding allotted to the communities, mining villages continue to be underdeveloped.
“Let’s take Akwatia, for instance, the heartbeat of diamond mining; Awaso, home of rich bauxite reserves; and Obuasi, famous for its gold. These communities, despite their immense contributions to the national treasury, often bear the brunt of environmental degradation, poor infrastructure, and the erosion of traditional livelihoods,” she said.
At a stakeholders forum on bolstering the mining sector for sustainable development in Accra yesterday, the Vice President, whose speech was read on her behalf by Dr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, the Presidential Advisor on Political Affairs, pointed out that although the nation’s mineral resources had made a substantial contribution to the economy, the advantages had not been distributed fairly.
The Minerals Development Fund (MDF) organized the meeting with the theme “Sustainable Mineral Wealth, Ensuring Equitable Benefits for All” with the intention of promoting discussion on governance, strategic reforms, and sustainable development projects.
The youth in the mining villages were seeking their due part of the money that was taken from under their feet, according to Prof. Opoku-Agyemang. If this disparity is not addressed, societal discontent and mistrust could worsen.
The Vice President urged closer cooperation between the government, mining firms, traditional leaders, civil society organizations, and impacted communities in order to attain sustainable mineral prosperity.
“The true treasure of our national progress is not in how much we extract from the ground but in how many lives we elevate from poverty, how many communities we empower, and how fairly we distribute the dividends of our natural endowment. It is not enough to extract value; we must also extract hope, opportunity, and justice for all,” she underscored.
“The scars of unregulated mining, polluted rivers, deforested lands, and abandoned pits must give way to a new era of respectable regenerative mining,” the vice president added, underscoring the significance of sustainability, environmental responsibility, and long-term national benefit.
Mr. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, reiterated the government’s dedication to sustainability, equity, and openness in the mining industry.
The minister called for cooperation to stop illicit mining and advance sustainable mining methods that safeguarded the environment and guaranteed intergenerational justice in his speech, which was read on his behalf by Ms. Victoria Awuni, the Deputy Commissioner of the Minerals Commission.
Dr. Hannah Louisa Bisiw-Kotei, the Administrator of the Minerals Development Fund (MDF), said that 1,500 young people with disabilities would receive fabrication and other skill training as part of an investment in the people residing in mining areas.
She added that all learners will receive start-up kits upon successful completion of the training and that a fish processing plant would be built as part of the 100,000 fish farm project to carry out the zero-cost farming effort.
Source: newsthemegh.com