In an effort to broaden the horizon of residents of mining affected communities in the Ahafo Region on mining-related laws and reforms, a capacity-building workshop has been organised for some residents of the ten host communities of Newmont Ahafo Mines.
Over 100 smallholder farmers benefitted from the training aimed at equipping them with the basic knowledge in compensation negotiation and payment, resettlement, and other matters.
It also empowered them to know their human rights in relation to the 1992 Constitution, Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) and other international conventions.
The beneficiary farmers of the training were selected from Kenyasi No. 1 & 2, Adrobaa, Terchire, Gyedu, Afrisipakrom, Susuanso, Wamanhinso, Ntotroso, and Yamfo.
The capacity-building workshop was organised by Livelihoods and Environmental Ghana, a non-governmental organisation.
Addressing the farmers, the Chief Executive Officer of Livelihoods and Environmental Ghana, Richard Adjei-Poku, called on state regulatory bodies – such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Minerals Commission as well as allied institutions – to step up sensitisation of residents of mining affected communities, noting that majority of people in mining communities are oblivious of the legal regimes governing mining, thus, the intermittent conflicts between mining companies and local residents.
He observed that the inability of local residents to negotiate for befitting compensations and other entitlements have compounded their woes, thus relegating them into poverty and adversely impacting on their livelihoods.
A farmer at Yamfo, Evelyn Owusu, in an interview, decried what she described as “unfair compensation process and exploitation of farmers” in the acquisition of farmlands for mining activities.
She appealed to authorities to prioritise the interest of the vulnerable people whenever awarding mining contracts to help reduce extreme poverty in mining communities.
The training was under the theme: ‘Amplifying Communities Voices Through Awareness Creation’. It was supported by the Third World Network Africa and sponsored by the Dutch Foreign Affairs Ministry.
