AKYEM KOTOKU APPEALS TO LANDS AND FORESTRY MINISTER (PAGE 35, OCTOBER 1)

THE chiefs of Akyem Kotoku Traditional Area have made an urgent appeal to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda, to allow Newmont, a gold mining company, to mine for the mineral in the Adjenua Bepo Forest Reserve.
The chiefs also appealed to the minister to hasten the necessary processes to enable Newmont to start operating in the area to prevent illegal gold miners (galamsey) operators from taking over.
Although portions of the Adjenua Bepo Forest Reserve covering about 74 hectares which contains large deposits of gold, formed part of the operational area of Newmont, a Tarkwa-based non-governmental organisation, Wassa Community Against Mining (WACAM), has been agitating against its exploitation, claiming it would degrade the environment with negative effects on the people.
The chiefs, led by the acting President of the Akyem Kotoku Traditional Council, Obrempong Aforoteng IV, presented a resolution to that effect to Alhaji Collins Dauda when the minister visited the Adjenua Bepo Forest Reserve last Thursday to acquaint himself with the issue.
The minister was accompanied by the Executive Director of the Forest Services Division, Mr Raphael Yeboah, and other officials from Newmont, the Mineral Commission and the ministry.
The resolution was signed by Obrempong Afroteng, the Queen of Akyem Kotoku, Nana Akua Asantewaa III; Osabarima Owusu Gyamadu, chief of Anyinase and Member of the Council of State; Nana Amo Kyeretwie I, the Abiremhene, and other chiefs from the towns in the operational area, as well as assembly members and farmers.
They stated that Newmont’s overall operation in the area would be beneficial to the people.
According to the chiefs, the 5.80 square kilometre Adjenua Bepo Forest Reserve is the only secondary forest in the area with virtually no tree of economic value among nine other forest reserves, with a total area of 211.38 square kilometres.
They stated that if its gold deposits were mined, it would not have any negative effect on the environment, adding that Newmont had already put in place measures such as land reclamation to restore the ecology.
The chiefs said apart from that, Newmont had done all what was expected such as honouring its social responsibility and other interventions to ensure that the company’s operations would not impact negatively on the people.
They, therefore, described WACAM’s agitation against the exploitation of the mineral in the Adjenua Bepo Forest Reserve as a deliberate attempt to stagnate the area’s development.
“Newmont should be allowed to operate because of the enormous benefits such as providing jobs for the unemployed youth, improving the infrastructure of the area so Mr minister, we wish that you give the green light for mining to begin,” Obrempong Aforoteng told Alhaji Dauda at New Abirem where he addressed the chiefs.
Osabarima Owusu Gyamadu, who also spoke at the function, wondered why WACAM had not campaigned against the wanton destruction of the environment by illegal miners (galamsey) operators but the operations of Newmont, which he said had many good things to offer to the people in the area.
Alhaji Dauda said his visit to the sight had enabled him to acquaint himself with the issue and that he would engage other stakeholders before a decision would be taken, adding that the people’s interest would be taken into consideration in all matters.