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WACAM has exposed the insincerity of a so called mouth piece of the youth within the Birim North District which is campaigning for the Newmont Ghana Gold Limited to mine in the Ajenua Bepo forest in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The group, which calls itself the Birim North Umbrella Youth Association (BNUYA) organised a press Conference last week at Adeusena which is one of the towns in the catchment area of Newmont Akyem project and reportedly stated among other things that WACAM had claimed that it was fighting on their behalf and thus has insulted their integrity likening them to people who cannot think for themselves. But in a release responding to the claims, WACAM noted that the claim of BNUYA that it is representing the youth in the area is therefore false, adding that �BNUYA is the baby of Newmont Akyem Project and the leading members of BNUYA are closely associated with the Newmont Akyem Project.� It became obvious that the BNUYA (Newmont Youth) represents a few people that had gained employment in companies that provide ancillary services to Newmont when Bernard Owusu Boateng who works as a Security Officer of one of Newmont�s contractors, was the one who addressed the Press Conference. Many youth who got the news of the Press Conference were angry with the �Newmont Youth� when they refused to answer questions that were critical of Newmont�s operations. The Press Conference also failed to address very important issues of concern to the youth in relation to Newmont Akyem project including unemployment, loss of livelihood and poor compensation among others. WACAM argues that Article 41K of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana sates that �it is the duty of every citizen to protect and safeguard the environment.� In performing our constitutional duty of protecting and safeguarding the environment, WACAM does not need permission from the leaders of BNUYA to talk about the destruction of Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve by Newmont Akyem project, the statement said. �We wish to state that we would not submit our constitutional rights to the dictates of mining corporate giants and their surrogate groups�, WACAM noted. WACAM continued that �it is disingenuous of the BNUYA to state that WACAM insulted the integrity of BNUYA only because of WACAM�s campaign against mining in Forest Reserve. Many advocacy NGOs, Politicians, Respected Religious leaders and Chiefs who care about the environment and the future of our Forest Reserves have spoken against mining in Forest Reserves.� �It would be important to mention specifically that Honourable Collins Dauda, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources had stated an official position against mining in Forest Reserve just as Right Rev. Dr Aboagye Mensah, the immediate past Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana had criticized mining in Forest Reserves as being an act against God�s creation. The Catholic Church considers the degradation of environment as a sin against God. We do not think that these highly respected citizens of Ghana and the organisations that they represent can be accused of insulting the integrity of the youth for speaking against mining in Forest Reserves�, it noted. WACAM believes that the Press Conference of BNUYA amounts to campaigning for the destruction of the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve at a time when there is serious national and global concern about Climate change and the protection of the environment. WACAM concluded that it is important to inform the Newmont Youth� and people who think like them that,� the US government would not permit Newmont to mine in protected areas in the US and it is unfortunate that the youth that should be concerned about the protection of Forest Reserves for future generation are being used to campaign for the destruction of Forest Reserves. BNUYA should think again.�