By Kizito CUDJOE
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has emphasised the critical need for sustainable mining practices to safeguard the environment for future generations.
He called for responsible gold extraction to minimise adverse impacts on the country’s natural resources.
Addressing Parliament during the dissolution of the 8th Parliament, Akufo-Addo acknowledged the political challenges stemming from his administration’s anti-galamsey stance, noting its influence on parliamentary dynamics.
“The fight against galamsey led directly to the loss by my party of several parliamentary seats in the 2020 elections, contributing to the makeup of this 8th Parliament, which affected the implementation of my policy agenda and impacted the second term of my presidency,” the President said.
Despite these setbacks, Akufo-Addo urged all stakeholders to sustain the momentum in combating illegal mining, particularly in the wake of heightened attention on the issue during recent elections.
He stressed the importance of protecting the country’s lands and water bodies while distinguishing the battle against galamsey from a broader opposition to mining.
“The fight against galamsey is not a fight against mining or the extraction of the gold the Almighty has so generously endowed us with,” President Akufo-Addo clarified.
The President also noted some of the policies implemented under his administration in the mining, forestry, and land sectors, reaffirming his government’s commitment to sustainable practices.
“As a result of these policies, we overtook South Africa as the leading producer of gold on the continent, and have consistently increased gold production to reach an unprecedented four million ounces (4 million oz), last year.”
He also cited the revamping of ‘dormant mines,’ like the Obuasi and Bibiani Mines, in addition to the commencement of operations of the Cardinal Namdi Mine, the first large-scale mine in northern Ghana. Whereas the construction of new mines in Ahafo by Newmont and Upper West by Azumah Resources continues.
“To add value to these volumes of minerals, we have constructed, through a Public Private Partnership, a four hundred kilogramme (400kg) capacity gold refinery, here in our country,” he added.
Moreover, he said the government has also concluded discussions with the parent company of Ghana Manganese Company Limited (GMC), for the construction of a US$450 million manganese refinery at Nsuta, in the Western region.
The establishment of the Ghana Integrated Aluminum Development Corporation (GIADEC) and the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation, he stated, “has laid the groundwork for the industrialisation of many of our natural resources.”
Under the Ghana Forest Plantation Strategy, he said, some 721,000 hectares (ha) of degraded forests have been cultivated between 2017 and 2023, with over 52 million trees planted in just four years, under the implementation of the Green Ghana Project.
