Ahafo Nkaseim Chiefs And Concerned Youth Appeals To NEWMONT Gold to Seed Off Portion Of Its Concession For Community Mining
Chiefs, Elders, Opinion leaders and Youth within Ahafo Nkaseim in the Asutifi south district of the Ahafo region have made a very passionate appeal to the management of NEWMONT Gold to seed off a portion of NEWMONT Gold legally acquired mining concession for the youth to operate Responsible Small Scale Community Mining.
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A delegation of chiefs, opinion leaders and the concerned youth of Ahafo Nkaseim met with the management of NEWMONT Gold and the deputy Lands and Natural Resources minister in charge of mining on Thursday 28th March 2024 at the conference room of the ministry to discuss the possible ways management of NEWMONT Gold will understand to agree and offer part of their concessions for the community to mine.
The District chief executive for Asutifi South, Hon Robert Dwomoh Mensah was worried about the huge sums of money that the assembly has over the years spent in the illegal mining ( Galamsey ) fight since the ban on Galamsey activities was initiated by the government due to the alarming rate at which the country’s rivers and water bodies were polluted and the destruction of the forest reserves.
He noted that small-scale mining has been operating by the good people of Asutifi South for years and it is difficult to restrain the people from operating because that is their major source of employment that helps them to feed their families.
Hon Dwomoh Mensah further stressed that for NEWMONT Gold management to deny the chiefs and people of Nkasim by rejecting and failing to accept their humble request, may also go a long way to affect the operational activities of NEWMONT Gold and Management.
According to the Asutifi south district chief executive, the management of NEWMONT Gold has assisted Ahafo Nkaseim through their corporate social responsibilities but he appealed to them to consider the request made by his traditional rulers and the concerned youth to offer them the opportunity to mine responsibly.
On his part, the Head of Legal for NEWMONT Gold, Mr Robert Agbozo hinted that NEWMONT Gold has spent a very huge amount of money in the area of interest of Nkaseim through Prospecting which will be mining in future.
Lawyer Robert Agbozo further disclosed that as owners of the prospecting license in the area of interest of the Nkaseim community it would be very difficult for the management of NEWMONT Gold to seed off the area for any individual or group to carry out any mining activities since the prospecting license is in the name of NEWMONT Gold.
He said though they have understood Nkaseim traditional rulers about their request it cannot work out.
Nana Yentumi Boateng, Dabenhene of Nkaseim and Krapoo – Mbaapehia Odikro who represented the Nkaseim Hene also an Obrempong to the Asantehene Otumfour Osei Tutu II recounted the numerous developmental support and other gestures offered by the management of NEWMONT Gold to Nkaseim and their operational areas saying indeed NEWMONT Gold has done very well but he is by this appealing to consider the request made by the Chiefs, Opinion leaders and the concerned youth to grant them the opportunity to mine because the major source of employment within the Ahafo area is mining.
Nana Yentumi Boateng further disclosed that the failure of the management of NEWMONT Gold to grant the request of the chiefs and people of Ahafo Nkaseim will affect the future of the people especially the energetic youth who have resorted to mining over the years.
He hoped that the management of NEWMONT Gold would reconsider their decision of not being ready to seed off part of the concession for Responsible Small Scale Community Mining.
A deputy minister for Lands and Natural Resources in charge of mining, Honourable George Mireku Duker also appealed to the management of NEWMONT Gold to support the chiefs and the concerned youth of Ahafo Nkaseim with a concession to operate a very Responsible Small Scale Community Mining to support the youth cater for their families.
Hon Mireku Duker who is also a member of parliament for the Tarkwa – Nsuaem constituency in the western region hinted that small scale mining sector engages over ( 1 ) million people in the country than the large-scale mining so the government is more concerned about the need for supporting and encouraging the youth to engage into Responsible Small Scale Community Mining which has come to stay and benefiting many in the small scale mining sector.
Hon George Mireku Duker further disclosed that in South Africa its people own the mining firms and the income derived from the mining activities remains in the country.
It was revealed during the meeting that the area of mining interest of the Nkaseim youth, NEWMONT Gold acquired a prospecting license in the year 2019 but the mining giant company still holds a prospecting license awaiting from the Minerals Commission to grant them a mining lease.
The deputy Lands and Natural Resources minister in charge of mining commended the chiefs, opinion leaders, and the youth of Nkaseim for leaving with the management and workers of NEWMONT Gold over the years and urged them to continue as such even though their request to mine on their legally acquired concession has not been granted.
