Stakeholders meet to discuss illegal mining in Obuasi
Stakeholders who attended a durbar organised by the Obuasi Municipal Assembly (OMA) have expressed grave concern over the activities of mining companies, which are bringing untold hardship to the people in the municipality.
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They called for practical,meaningful and sustainable measures to be put in place to check the current precarious situation the people were in.
Durbar
The durbar was attended by chiefs, community leaders, assembly members, representatives of the Minerals Commission and the Water Resources Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Other interest groups that attended were the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands, the Land Valuation Board (LVB ), farmers association, Women’s representatives, youth association and civil society.
The durbar was held to allow participants to discuss and share ideas on the risks associated with small and large-scale mining in the municipality. Participants undertook assessment of the risks and also determined projections and strategies to mitigate the negative effects of mining on communities and the environment.
Mr J.F.K . Addae, a consultant engaged by the assembly, took the participants through risks and community needs assessment.
Concerns of participants
The participants broke into groups to discuss and develop reports that would form the basis for the utilisation of the assembly’s share of the Millennium Development Fund.
The participants contended that many of their water bodies had been polluted as a result of illegal mining operations, which has caused diseases in the area.
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The Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Richard Ofori-Agyeman Boadi, commended the participants for their attendance. He noted that in the quest for participatory governance, there were institutions such as the district assemblies, zonal councils and unit committees that permitted grass-roots participation in governance.
He said between 2008 and 2012, OMA received GH¢1,944,121.42 in mineral royalties which amply supported the assembly's budget together with the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) and Internally Generated Funds (IGF).