The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has charged five small-scale mining cooperatives to prioritise environmental protection and land reclamation while pursuing their mining activities, insisting that gold production must not come at the expense of Ghana’s natural resources and the livelihoods of future generations.
He gave the charge at Nkroful in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region during the inauguration of five societies under the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP).
The societies inaugurated were Salman, Atomic, Asanta, Bomoakpole and Akropong.
The ceremony marked another step in the government’s efforts to formalise and regulate small-scale mining by encouraging responsible practices, improving operational standards and ensuring that mining activities are conducted within approved concessions.
As part of the inauguration, the minister presented certificates and permits to the five cooperatives to support their operations within their designated concessions.
Mr. Buah described the initiative as a deliberate effort to restore order to the small-scale mining sector and demonstrate that the extraction of gold could generate economic benefits without causing irreversible damage to the environment.
He reiterated that Ghana can harness its mineral wealth while protecting its land, rivers and other natural resources.
The minister’s charge underscores the need for a responsible approach to small-scale mining, particularly amid longstanding concerns about the environmental consequences of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Through the rCOMSDEP initiative, the government seeks to promote a mining model that combines economic opportunity with environmental responsibility, regulatory compliance and skills development.
The programme is also intended to encourage miners to operate collectively under recognised structures, making it easier to enforce standards, promote accountability and improve the management of mining activities.
The Regional Director of the Department of Cooperatives, Mr. Akwasi Adjei Bawuah, described the inauguration as more than a formal ceremony, saying it presented an opportunity to reshape the future of small-scale mining in the Western Region.
He challenged the five societies to demonstrate that small-scale mining could be conducted legally, safely and sustainably, rather than being associated primarily with environmental destruction.
According to him, the cooperatives have a responsibility to establish a new standard for mining operations by promoting shared prosperity, responsible resource extraction and respect for the environment.
He stressed that the success of the initiative would depend largely on the commitment of members and executives to the principles governing their societies.
Mr. Bawuah therefore urged the cooperatives to make their bylaws the foundation of their operations, emphasising that no individual should be allowed to place personal interests above those of the society.
He explained that adherence to established rules would help strengthen internal governance, prevent disputes and ensure that the benefits of mining were shared fairly among members.
The Regional Director also highlighted the importance of transparency in the management of the cooperatives, calling for proper record-keeping, open weighing of gold and fair distribution of proceeds.
He said members must be able to account for the resources generated from their operations and understand how their money is managed.
Transparent weighing and the equitable sharing of proceeds, he indicated, would help build trust among members and reduce the likelihood of disagreements over the distribution of mining revenues.
He further urged the executives to uphold accountability in the management of members’ funds, warning against practices that could undermine the collective interests of the societies.
The emphasis on good governance is intended to ensure that the cooperatives operate as credible institutions capable of protecting the interests of their members while complying with the requirements governing their activities.
Beyond financial accountability, Mr. Bawuah called on the cooperatives to make occupational safety and environmental restoration integral parts of their operations.
He stressed that appropriate protective equipment, including helmets and safety boots, must become standard requirements for members working at mining sites.
The use of safety equipment is essential to reducing the risk of workplace injuries and ensuring that miners operate under safer conditions.
He also urged the societies to incorporate tree planting and land reclamation into their mining activities, emphasising the need to restore degraded areas rather than leave them damaged after mineral extraction.
Land reclamation involves rehabilitating areas affected by mining to improve their condition and, where possible, restore their capacity to support vegetation and other productive uses.
The call reflects a broader need for mining operators to take responsibility for the environmental consequences of their activities and contribute to the restoration of affected communities.
For the five cooperatives, the expectation is that environmental protection will not be treated as an afterthought but as an essential component of responsible mining.
The inauguration of the Salman, Atomic, Asanta, Bomoakpole and Akropong societies represents an effort to encourage a more structured approach to small-scale mining in the Ellembelle District and the wider Western Region.
By operating under recognised cooperative arrangements and within approved concessions, the societies are expected to demonstrate that small-scale mining can be managed in a manner that supports livelihoods while respecting environmental and regulatory requirements.
The presentation of certificates and permits provides a formal basis for their operations within the designated concessions, while the emphasis on cooperative bylaws, transparency, safety and reclamation highlights the responsibilities that accompany their activities.
However, the long-term success of the initiative will depend on how effectively the cooperatives translate these commitments into practice.
Compliance with mining regulations, responsible management of gold proceeds, the consistent use of safety equipment and the restoration of mined-out land will be important measures of their performance.
The government’s broader objective is to ensure that the country’s mineral resources contribute to economic development without leaving communities to bear the lasting costs of environmental degradation.
For the five newly inaugurated societies, the challenge is to prove that gold can be extracted responsibly, with the benefits shared among members and the environment protected for future generations.
The minister’s message at Nkroful therefore serves as both a charge and a reminder: the value of Ghana’s gold must not be measured only by what is extracted from the ground, but also by the land and natural resources preserved for generations to come.
By 1960news.com
