The people of Gwira, Ajomoro/Eshiem and Mpatado Traditional Areas in the Western Region, have expressed their displeasure over continuous displacement of cocoa farms for mining concessions.
The traditional areas which are predominantly cocoa growing districts argued that both cocoa and gold earned the country huge foreign exchange; however, the government granted mining concessions on cocoa farms thereby depriving them of their livelihoods.
They, therefore, appealed to the government to formulate a policy to prohibit mining concessions on cocoa farms across the country because mining had not made any meaningful impacts on their lives over the years.
They expressed these sentiments when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) organised a Public Hearing at Adamanso on a proposed alluvial gold mining project by West Star Mining Limited and Blue River Mining Limited at the Lower Ankobra Basin in the Nzema East Municipality.
The forum aimed at soliciting inputs into a draft Environmental Impact Statements on the proposed project as required under Regulation 16(1) and LI 1652 of 1999 and Section 12(1) of Act 490 (1994).
Egya Kwesi Nda of Adamanso argued that the amount of money paid for each cocoa tree destroyed was woefully inadequate and the amount would not sustain their families, adding �cocoa trees could sustain us for over 30 years and even benefit our future generations�.
However, Mr Simon Enison, Managing Director of the two mining firms, assured the people that adequate compensation would be paid for crops and land as well as ensure safe environmental practices.
He said the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Action-Plan would cater for basic social amenities, including potable water, health facilities, Education fund and schools to better the lives of the people.
Mr. Enison indicated that indigenes of the area would be recruited for training and subsequently employed them and, therefore appealed for maximum cooperation from all the communities.
He said the two mining firms have 90 per cent stake, while the government owed 10 per cent shares in the mining concessions.
West Star Mining Company Limited owed 50 kilometres land area but mining would take place within a space of 6 Km/Sq, while the Blue River Mining firm owed 40 kilometres land area and would also mine within a space of 9 Km/Sq.
<<Print>>