A group by name Integrated Community Miners Association of Ghana (ICOMAG) has commended the President for creating avenues for them to ply their trade.
The group’s spokesperson, Ahenkorah Mentu in an interview with the Ghanaian Observer Newspaper said about 30, 000 of their folks have gotten employment through the community mining introduced by the Akufo-Addo government.
According to him, members of the group after the ban on galamsey never thought they could secure jobs to do again.
He noted that having acquired skills in mining, members have gained education in the area and have since the introduction of Community Mining become useful.
‘’We are very grateful that the President had us in mind even though he was against illegal mining and so far 30, 000 of our folks have gotten avenues to do what they know to do best’’, Mr Mentu stated.
COMMENDATION:
The group also praised the Minster of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Frimpong Boateng for the processes he undertook to integrate the group into the newly regulated community mining.
The spokesperson noted that they had undergone rigorous studies on clean mining by personnel from then Ministry and the Minerals Commission.
He disclosed that their folks in communities such as Nzema, Akrofuom, Abedwam, Adumanu, Nkuntin, Mpasatia and many others across the country have been given opportunity to be part of the community mining in these areas.
These avenues of employment, the group spokesperson intimated would have been difficult to come by if the Minister had not personally shown commitment to the program of integration.
‘’We are happy that we had Professor Frimpong Boateng supervising the Ministry and through his commitment some of us have been given opportunity to learn clean mining and subsequently to be part of the government’s community mining’’, Mr Mentu posited.
DETAILS:
The group said the community mining which is highly regulated has helped to reduce drastically the number of deaths and accidents occurring at mining sites.
The spokesperson noted that the project by the Ministry has reduced the pollution of water bodies and degradation of land, adding the supervision of the district mining committees has been beneficial.
Mr Mentu said the community mining project has been able to eliminate child labor and prostitution that went on during the galamsey days.
He revealed that workers receive better remuneration as they are given 50% or at times 60% of the total output and noted that this has made workers stakeholders of the project unlike the situation that pertained during the galamsey periods.
