Minerals Commission opens new office at Bibiani

The Minerals Commission has opened a new office complex at Bibiani as part of ongoing efforts to decentralise the services of the mining and minerals regulator.

The office will provide a more congenial ambience for the officers and staff of the commission in the region, a departure from the rented chamber-and-hall office space they had occupied for more than 30 years.

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor, inaugurated the large modern office equipped with the latest technology to oversee operations of the mining sector regulator in the Bibiani/Anhwiaso/Bekwai Municipality in the Western North Region, one of the major mining belts in the country and beyond.

Addressing a gathering of traditional authorities, management and staff of the Minerals Commission and residents of the municipality ahead of the inauguration yesterday, Mr Jinapor, who is also the Member of Parliament for Damongo, stressed the importance of the magnificent office building to the efficient regulation of mining activities in the Western North Region.

He said the features of the new office made it an ideal hub for mining-related activities in the area, and charged the staff of the commission in the area to live up to the expectations of the commission.

“Despite the importance of this office to the mining industry, it has been accommodated in a very small rented chamber-and-hall office space for more than 30 years.

This, obviously impeded the recruitment of new staff to augment the work of the office,” he said.

Mr Jinapor said the inadequacy of the office became even more apparent following the internal restructuring of the Minerals Commission, which necessitated expanding services at the regional and district offices to cover areas such as cartography, survey, community relations and environmental protection.

"With three large-scale mining operations within this municipality at Awaso, Bibiani and Chirano, it became necessary to secure a more conducive working space for the commission to effectively regulate mining operations in this area, and to provide the full spectrum of mining-related monitoring services, not just for small-scale mining, but, also, large-scale mining operations,” the minister said.

He further explained that the office accommodation would also ensure the successful implementation of the minerals diversification policy through the promotion of economic and industrial minerals.

Mr Jinapor added that with two satellite offices in Nkwawie and Juaboso, there was no doubt that the office would live up to its mandate.

Zero tolerance for galamsey

He reiterated the government’s zero tolerance for illegal small-scale mining, adding that the government had made the commitment to rid the mining space of any illegality, particularly mining activities that happened close to forest reserves and river bodies.

“I want to use this opportunity to reaffirm the government’s unflinching commitment to the fight against this canker, which, undoubtedly, threatens our very existence.

This commitment, we have demonstrated through several initiatives such as the declaration of water bodies as Red Zones for mining, and the suspension of reconnaissance, prospecting, and/or exploration in Forest Reserves, except in exceptional circumstances,” Mr Jinapor stated.

He also mentioned the introduction of Operation Halt II with the mandate to decommission equipment used in illegal mining, the ban on the manufacture, sale or dealing in changfans, the introduction of mercury-free Gold Katcha, retooling of the Inspectorate Division of the Minerals Commission, introduction of the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP), and the training of judges to ensure strict enforcement of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended by Act 995 as some of the measures.

He said despite those measures, some nation wreckers, motivated by their own selfish interests, continued to destroy water bodies and forest reserves.

“We are aware that what we are dealing with is money, and the cartels involved will always try to find ways of outwitting us. But we will not relent in our efforts, we will continue to adopt the necessary measures to protect our water bodies, environment and forest reserves,” the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources stressed.

Service delivery challenges

The Chairperson of the commission, Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, stated that the new office building was expected to address service delivery challenges that small-scale miners within the Bibiani-Anhwiaso Bekwai Municipality faced as well as facilitating the monitoring and compliance role of the commission.

The Paramount Chief of Sehwi Anhwiaso Traditional Area and President of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, commended the government for its efforts in addressing illegal small-scale mining in the country.

He urged traditional authorities across the country to rise up and help save the country’s mining resources from the harmful activities of illegal miners.

Background

The Bibiani Minerals Commission office is the third modernised office unveiled within the last four months.

Work is ongoing on the construction of offices in Kumasi, Tamale and Bole, which are expected to be completed by November this year.