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Hon Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ashanti region’s Suame seat, has appealed for community participation in the fight against illegal mining.
He said that in order to safeguard the forest and water resources, the chiefs and district assemblies would have the legal authority to keep an eye on the operations of the miners.
On Monday, September 19, 2022, during Captain Koda’s morning show “Nyansapo” on Otec FM, the Suame MP announced his decision.
The majority leader in parliament, Hon Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, remarked that the communities, who are the guardians of the lands, are helpless in the face of the threat due to a lack of “strength.”
“Mining concessions are given to people in Accra without the involvement of the communities, thus rending the chiefs and the district assemblies powerless to control them, without even benefitting them,” he added.
“The district assemblies and chiefs must have the authority to oversee the miners’ operations.
He continued, “They will be in a position to legally control their operations in order to protect the water bodies and the woods.”
In addition to safeguarding the environment, he claimed that miners should practice corporate social responsibility by building infrastructure for their projects that will help the local communities.
The Suame MP also thought that by including the district assemblies in tax collection, the government would reap significant benefits.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
