THE Birim North District, to be precise the forest zone surrounding New Abirem, the district capital, and other towns and communities such as Afosu, Hweakwae and Ntronang, is endowed with varieties of trees of economic value, such as odum, mahogany and sapele..
The land is arable and suitable for the cultivation of cash crops such as cocoa, citrus and oil palm, as well as plantain, maize and all types of tuber such as yams and cassava.
The exploitation of the forest products by local timber contractors, as well as the cultivation of the various crops by the farmers on small holdings due to lack of capital, could not make any significant impact on the people.
As a result, most of the towns and villages lack the necessary infrastructure such as good drinking water, roads, schools and clinics.
To address the imbalance, previous governments and their development partners, through the district assembly, initiated a number of development programmes to provide social amenities such as schools and potable water in the area.
But due to the area’s vastness, a number of communities could not benefit from the government’s development programme and that secluded a large segment of the population from benefiting from the necessary social amenities.
The discovery of gold in the area in the late 1990s, followed by the entry of Newmont, a multinational gold mining company, has given hope to the people for a better life.
Newmont, which is yet to be given its operational licence, has provided a number of social amenities in almost all the towns, villages and hamlets in its operational area.
It has provided amenities such as potable water, roads and schools for communities such as New Abirem, Afosu, Hweakwae, Mammas, Yayaso, Adausena and Old Abirem.
The company has also put in place a comprehensive poverty alleviation programme under which the people whose lands will be affected by its activities will be assisted with cash and training to engage in economic ventures to generate appreciable income for their sustenance.
This laudable intervention by Newmont, which is said to be operating within the required mining regulations and has already paid the agreed compensation to people whose lands and crops will be affected by its operations, has won the confidence of the people in the area.
The people, who registered their support during a public hearing on the matter at Yayaso, the epicentre of the company’s operations, last year, therefore, appealed to the government to hasten the process for the acquisition of an operational licence to enable the company to start digging for the mineral.
Although the actual quantity of gold deposit in the area is not yet known, it is estimated that production can last for a period ranging from 15 to 20 years.
In preparation for what can be termed as an economic boom in the area, new first-class hotels with recreational facilities, housing estates, shops and other facilities that will promote tourism have been constructed mostly by the indigenous people, most of whom are resident in the metropolises and abroad.
However, at such a crucial period when an operational licence is being considered for the company to go into full production of the mineral, a non-governmental organisation, the Wassa Communities Against Mining (WACAM), based in the Wassa area of the Western Region, has of late embarked on a campaign against the operations of Newmont in the area.
WACAM claims that Newmont’s activities will not be in the interest of the people, citing some environmental hazards.
The NGO’s claims have, however, been disputed by Newmont, which gave the assurance that inhabitants in its operational area will not under any situation be exposed to environmental hazards.
The company gave the assurance that everything had been done to safeguard the welfare of the people.
Newmont’s assurance was buttressed by the chiefs and people of the area who also expressed their displeasure at WACAM’s campaign which, according to them, had been calculated to deprive the area of development.
The Chief of Ntronang-Kotoku, Baffour Alimo, and Mr Arko Mensah, an opinion leader, for instance, strongly condemned WACAM’s agitation against Newmont in the area, describing it as a deliberate attempt to stagnate the development of the area.
According to them, the situation would also make the people to continue to wallow in abject poverty and underdevelopment in the midst of unexploited huge deposits of gold.
“We find it ridiculous for WACAM to come all the way from the Western Region to stand against Newmont, which has already done a lot for the communities, although it has not yet started digging for the mineral,” they stressed.
“The area contains gold to be extracted by an internationally reputed mining company such as Newmont and it will be disastrous for the people if Newmont pulls out because ‘galamsay’ operators who are already at nearby Noyem and Nyanfoman will take over and the communities will get nothing,” Mr Arko Mensah said.
Baffour Alimo, who was happy that Newmont had done a lot for the people, gave the assurance that traditional rulers in the area would give the necessary support for the company to operate in such a way that would not negatively affect the environment and the people.
He was hopeful that WACAM’s agitation would be disregarded so that Newmont would be given the official blessing to operate, saying that that was the only way to develop the area.
Mr Samuel Ansong, the Head Teacher of the Mamnaso District Assembly Junior High School, which was constructed by Newmont, and Mr Appiah Frempong of the Islamic School, also at Mamnaso, were full of praise for Newmont.
“Apart from constructing new buildings to replace the old dilapidated ones, the company has also been supplying educational materials and other items such as clothing to the pupils and some teachers,” they said.
Considering what Newmont has done so far in terms of infrastructural development in the communities within its operational areas, as well as the other poverty alleviation measures it has initiated to ensure that the people are not negatively affected by its operations, it is prudent for all stakeholders, especially the sector ministry, to listen to the people and do what is expected to enable the company to go into full production of the mineral as soon as possible.
The sector ministry, at the same time, should keep an eagle eye on Newmont so that it operates within the required mining laws.
This is the only way the area’s development can be enhanced, both in terms of infrastructure and poverty alleviation, for the benefit of the people.
No comments:
Post a Comment