Stop Granting Permits  To Companies To Mine  In Forest Reserves --President Of House of NHC Advises EPA, Minerals & Forestry Commissions

He pointed out that for the past years, mining companies have targeted forest reserves due to their rich mineral deposits and the number of requests from mining companies for exploration permits to mine in forest reserves have increased.

Following this development, Ogyeahohuo Yaw Gyebi II, who doubles as the Paramount Chief of Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Area, has kicked against the continuous habit of the above state mining regulatory institutions to grant permits to mining companies to carry out mining activities in forest range reserves in Ghana.

However, mining in forest reserves would aggravate deforestation and forest degradation in Ghana which already stands at an alarming rate. 

A research carried out by the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO, 2011) indicated that with a deforestation rate of 2.19 per cent, Ghana together with Togo and Nigeria, have one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world. 

In this sense, Ogyeahohuo Yaw Gyebi II was of the view that although mining can create jobs, improve livelihoods and generate wealth, it cannot, and must not do so by damaging the very environment that produces the riches.

According to him, forest reserves serve as water sheds which provide water for domestic and agricultural activities for several communities and has been classified as protected areas because of the significant ecosystem services these forest reserves provide to sustain human life.

Speaking in an interview with DAILY Analyst, the Paramount Chief argued that mining in forest reserves will, therefore, destroy their watersheds; affecting all freshwater systems originating from the forests and also compromise their entire ecosystem and biodiversity.

According to him, since he has been installed the Paramount Chief of Sewfi Anhwiaso Traditional Area, he has been fighting against mining in forest reserves and water bodies and stressed the need for a collective effort to totally rid the country of this menace.

To help safeguard water bodies and forest reserves, Ogyeahohuo Yaw Gyebi II stressed the urgent need for the government to ensure the complete ban of granting permits and licences to the mining companies to mine or carry out prospecting activities in forest range reserves.

"It is high time President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo stood firmly to direct the Minerals Commission and Environmental Protection Agency to stop their continuous habit of granting permits and licenses to the mining companies to carry out prospecting or mining activities in all our forest reserves, l think that if the President does so it would help the government end this menace," he further emphasised.

He mentioned that; "I am completely against mining in water bodies and forest reserves. Because it is dangerous to our lives and ecosystems. We need water to drink for our lives. We need the forests to provide livelihoods for millions of people and animals.

"These existing practices are destroying our water bodies and killing our forest reserves. In the past we drink fresh water from our water bodies but these days all these water bodies have been  polluted by dangerous chemicals being used by these miners to mine in our areas. 

"Our vegetables, or farming crops including varieties of okra; which are green and white are contaminated by dangerous acidic substances used by these miners. The okra we eat in the past is being destroyed by mercury and now we cannot enjoy eating okra any more because it is now hard in test, the Paramount Chief stated.

He pointed out that the economic tress in the forest reserves have been destroyed through irresponsible mining activities by mining companies, saying that the abundant fish in their water bodies have been killed as a result of the dangerous chemicals used by miners.

Additionally, the President of NHC stressed that "Although we need money from gold to do developmental projects and programmes, it is dangerous and bad to even grant licenses or permits to mining companies to carry prospecting in forest range reserves."

"If we did not wake up from our slumber to help the government to end illegal small scale mining (galamsey) activities in the country, particularly in our water bodies and forest reserves, a time is coming when we would have import water to drink," Ogyeahohuo Yaw Gyebi II cautioned.

Ogyeahohuo Yaw Gyebi II stated that he has been working closely with the various chiefs, queen mothers and other traditional office holders in all one hundred (100) villages and towns within the Sewfi Anhwiaso Traditional Area to fight against illegal small scale mining activities within his traditional boundary.

He re-assured Ghanaians of his commitment as the President of NHC to help President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to clamp down on persons involved in illegal mining, irrespective of their religious background.

He noted that they have realised that mining in Ghana has become a danger to the society when, after extracting the gold, diamond, or other stones and minerals, the land is left degraded and poisoned with toxic materials.

"I will continue to work closely with chiefs and other traditional office holders in their various jurisdictions and members of the NHCs to ensure that the government succeed in its galamsey war.