Effutu Aboakyer Festival In Danger! -Over Moves By Government To Aid Green Metals Resources Limited To Mine In Muni-Pomadze Ramsar Site And Yenku Forest Reserve In Winneba
Ghana is on the verge of losing its renowned Cultural Heritage Site and Ramsar Site at Winneba in the Central Region following the pending application of mineral rights in the area by Legislative Instrument (LI) 2176.
Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu Greater 
Ghana is on the verge of losing its renowned Cultural Heritage Site and Ramsar Site at Winneba in the Central Region following the pending application of mineral rights in the area by Legislative Instrument (LI) 2176.
Published by the Minerals Commission on 19th May 2022, and awaiting the final approval, the permit when granted, will allow Green Metals Resources Limited to carry out large-scale mining concession in the Efutu area.
The plan of the proposed mining operation
The mining plan which is available to Soireenews.com revealed that the world-renowned traditional hunting ground and Effutu Aboakyer Festival will be affected including the internationally recognized Muni-Pomadze Ramsar site will also be affected.
Publication concealed from public
The Efutu Traditional Council in responding to the publication of the pending application by the Minerals Commission has rejected any mining plans in the area.
A petition by Traditional Council wondered why a public notice would be concealed from the public view and not served the purpose it was intended for.
According to the Traditional Council, it was just on Friday 17th June 22, that it saw a copy of the document at the office of the municipal chief executive where it has not been posted on its notice board.
It said in the petition to the Minerals Commission “We in the Effutu Traditional area object to this proposed license application and hereby petition your office to stop working on the document”.
Part of the petition reads “The area concerned if decimated by mining will completely bring to a halt the famous traditional festival on the African continent and the world over, the Aboakyer festival. If the application should succeed, it will deprive the indigenous people of Effutu and its environs their livelihood since it will hurt the Muni Lagoon and the Ramsar site at large.”
The petition added, “The area if decimated, will also bring about the complete collapse of the agreement the government of Ghana has entered with the Ramsar Convention”.
Further details of the plan
The Traditional Council is therefore urging the Minerals Commission to halt any further development of the application or would take action in any form appropriate to them.
At a crowded press conference in Winneba on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, Effutu Traditional Council clad in red served a word of caution to the government that the Council will not allow the operation of mining within the Muni-Pomadze Ramsar Site in Winneba.
Addressed by the Paramount Chief of Effutu Traditional Council, Nenyi Ghartey VII, the Council noted that it had the information a few days ago about the intention of a mining company called Green Metal Resources Limited to mine in the area.
The Council pointed out that the mining company published in the dailies that a mining lease has been granted to the company by the Minerals Commission to mine in the Muni-Pomadze Ramsar Site.
The Council kicked against the company's intention to mine in an area without prior notice to the paramountcy.
Speaking on the behalf of the Council, Paramount Chief of the Council Nenyi Ghartey VII, said the council doesn't support any form of mining at the Muni-Pomadze Ramsar Site.
"Mining in the forest would destroy our Aboakyer festival, a long-held heritage of Winneba, cause a flood, destroy two streams and a lagoon, destroy wildlife and increase land degradation," he stressed.
"We, the elders and chiefs of the area would not sit aloof and see this site be destroyed," the chief vowed.
The Paramount Chief urged the government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to do the needful to avoid any unforeseen violence clash in the area.
