By Helena Selby (helena_selby@yahoo.com) Posted: Wednesday, June 17, 2009
It has always being perceived that people living in towns where gold is mined, happen to be the luckiest on the face of the earth. They usually don’t have a thing to worry about, since there will be an abundance of job opportunities to help improve upon their standard of living, social amenities and lives. Nevertheless, the notion seems to be vice versa, just like the attitude of the Golden Star Bogoso Prestea Limited (GSBPL), which is making the lives of people in Prestea miserable, and so is Newmont Mining Corporation also about to make the lives of the people Akyem miserable, by mining in a forest reserve. Mining in a town is a good opportunity for the people, but it becomes nightmare when the rights of the people are taken for granted, properties destroyed, daily bread taken away, heritage, biodiversity destruction, reduction of rainfall, and tourism destroyed, and as well without any befitting compensation for the victims to go on with their lives.
The intended mining operation of the Newmont Akyem project in the Ajenua Bepo Forest reserve, in the New Abirem District, has been condemned by organisations, farmers, and sections of the people, while others like business people and the youth, who for one reason or the other seem to be in support of Newmont’s Akyem project.
Newmont Ghana Gold Limited
Newmont Mining Corporation is one of the world’s leading mining companies. Its headquarters can be found in Denver, Colorado (USA). It has three subsidiaries registered under the laws of Ghana, namely Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL), Moydow Limited and Golden Ridge Resource Limited (GRRL). It has been producing gold at its mines in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana since 2006. Golden Ridge Resources Limited has been exploring for gold and assessing development opportunities in Akyem lands, in the Eastern Region of the country.
Ghana’s forest cover
According to research, Ghana’s forest cover has reduced from 8.2 million hectares at the turn of the 20th Century to 1.6 million hectares. The rate of forest depletion is put at 62,000 hectares annually, which presents a major challenge to policy makers and environmentalists.
The Forest Reserves remain the hope of protecting the remaining forest cover in Ghana from further destruction, and efforts aimed at the rehabilitation of Ghana’s depleted forests is important . Furthermore, forest reserves have become important in this era of climate change and biodiversity protection, and the destruction of Forest Reserves has become an issue of global importance. There is the need for forest reserves to be protected, and not allow artificial land activities to destroy them, just like Newmont Akyem project intends to establish a mining pit, which would destroy the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve in Akyem lands, in the Eastern Region.
According to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) of the Newmont Akyem project, the company would be able to replace the forest cover that would be destroyed by the mining operations, and even make it bigger, with the help of the Business and Biodiversity Programme (BBOP). The programme is in collaboration with Conservation International, Forest Trends and several non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The BBOP is expected to enhance the biodiversity of a target area, to offset that which would be destroyed in the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve. A major critic of the BBOP is that natural forests cannot be replaced by plantations. It is feared that some species of flora and fauna in the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve, which would be lost through the mining operations, cannot be replaced through the BBOP technology.
Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve
The Ajenua Bepo forest reserve is the watershed for important rivers such as Owo Nta, Alotosu, Aprapon, Adenkyesu and Yaayaa, which serve the various needs of many of the people in the area. The Ajenua Mountain, which is the highest altitude in the area, and the forest cover improves rainfall that promotes agriculture in the area.
It also serves as home for many animals, birds, butterfly, and important trees and plant species which provide sustainable medicinal benefits that maintains the ecosystem and serves as a store of biodiversity. The reserve is of life-time importance to the Akyem people, so the government, which claims to have the people’s wellbeing at heart, should try and prevent the reserve from being used for short term benefits, all in the name of mining.
Mining laws in Ghana
Day in and day out, there are reports of the violations of the rights of people living in mining areas. Sometimes the failure to implement laws to protect the interests of the people makes its existence irrelevant, since it is not serving the purpose it was meant to. People living in mining communities expect mining laws to provide protection for their rights, instead of only protecting the interests of mining companies.
According to Sections 73 and 74 of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006, the amount of compensation payable under subsection (1) shall be determined by agreement between the parties, but if the parties are unable to reach an agreement as to the amount of compensation, the matter shall be referred by either party to the Minister, who shall in consultation with the government agency responsible for land valuation, and subject to this act, determine the compensation payable by the holder of the mineral right.
Section74 (a) of the Act states that the compensation to which an owner or lawful occupier is entitled to, may include compensation for deprivation of the use or a particular use of the natural surface of the land, (b) loss of or damage to immovable properties, in the case of land under cultivation, (c) loss of earnings or sustenance suffered by the owner or lawful occupier, (d) having due to regard to the nature of their interest in the land, loss of expected income, depending on the nature of crops on the land and their life expectancy.
A major complaint of the people to be affected by the operations of the Newmont Akyem project is that the Newmont compensation regime does not take into consideration compensation principles, especially the loss of earnings, deprivation of the use of the land, and compensation based on loss of expected income, depending on the nature of crops on the land and their life expectancy. To be continued
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