The continuous failure of government to effectively implement the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) common mining development directive policy has created disaffection between government and residents in mining communities in the country.
The policy�which is aimed at harnessing and harmonising mineral resources for growth and development in the sub-region�has been ignored by government of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Scores of residents from mining communities including Birim, Kyebi, Kenyase, Atta ne Atta, Mim, Prestea-Huni-Valley, Tarkwa, Takoradi, Dormaa and Akyem Oda have described government action as a �complete decision to dump� the ECOWAS mining development directive policy which had been adopted by ECOWAS Council Ministers of Mines, at a meeting in Abuja, Nigeria in 2012.
The residents could not understand why President John Dramani Mahama, who is the Chairman of ECOWAS, has persistently failed to devise additional measures to see to the effective implementation of the ECOWAS mining development directive policy in Ghana to ensure high standards of accountability for mining companies.
At a multi-stakeholder workshop on the amendments to Ghana�s Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (Act 703,) the residents recalled that the ministers of Energy, Lands and Natural Resources, Science, Environment and Technology together with officials of Minerals Commission, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Water Resource Commission were part of the ECOWAS mining ministers who drafted and adopted the Mineral Development Directive Policy.
The residents wondered why an effective implementation of the ECOWAS mining development directive policy in Ghana could be a major challenge to the regulatory institutions since top officials of the institutions had actively participated in the adoption of the policy.
However, what is disheartening, the residents noted, was that two former ministers of state� then deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Henry Ford Karmel, and Minister of Energy, Alhaji Insusah Fuseini�were even allowed to address the opening session of the meetings that finalised the adoption of the ECOWAS mining development directive policy.
For his part, Mr. Karmel called for partnerships and an enabling environment to promote private sector investment in the efficient development of the sub-region�s mineral resources.
He told the gathering that the mineral development policy was very important to ensure the development of extractive industries resulting in the sustainable development of the sub-region.
Mr. Karmel said the policy would therefore help to improve availability of geological and mineral information at the national and regional levels, optimising the value chain, especially the processing and value addition of the extracted minerals to derive maximum benefits and enhancement of effective environmental protection and strategic environmental assessment of mineral activities.
Mr. Karmel expressed the hope that the thematic focus of the policy would help address the challenges facing the mineral sector of the various countries in the sub-region.
But the residents intimated that since the adoption of the ECOWAS mining development policy, the government of the NDC has not put in place proper measures to ensure participatory ownership of the minerals sector by all stakeholders.
�Our government lacked capacity to enhance institutional and human capacities for the development of the minerals sector in the country,� the residents averred.
Source: Today
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