The Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM) is urging President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo to come clean and declare land allocated for community mining since the introduction of the concept.
The association believes most of the land allocated for community mining by government ended up in the hands of party men leaving their members to continue to struggle due to undue politicisation of the concept.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Michael Adu Gyamfi, Secretary to the Ashanti Chapter of GNASSM on behalf of the association said GNASSM argues the community mining model which was introduced to government and further implemented on party lines is the brainchild of GNASSM.
“The big worry is that the implementation sidelined the association and other main stakeholders.
Issuing of license for community mining was done from the office of the President and ministers”, he said
He added that MMDCE’s who were responsible for monitoring and supervision created room for party supporters to influence and abuse the concept.
“Such development accounted for rise in forest encroachment and other infractions”. He said
The Ashanti District of GNASSM is therefore calling for a review of the whole community mining policy where institutions and stakeholders in the small scale mining sector are handed free regulatory mandate devoid of politicisation to give credence to the President’s call for depoliticization of small scale mining in his inaugural address.
Source; Nana Peprah -Kumasi