“Take the gold, but restore the Land” – Lands Minister charges five mining cooperatives

In a resolute statement at Nkroful in the Ellembelle District, Ghanaian Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, emphasized that the nation could continue extracting gold without compromising its environment or the well-being of future generations. This charge came at the inauguration of five Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) societies: Salman, Atomic, Asanta, Bomoakpole, and Akropong.

The event symbolized the government's ongoing campaign to bring small-scale mining under stringent control, with the minister distributing certificates and permits to the cooperatives to facilitate their operations within designated areas. The minister underscored the initiative as a concerted effort to restore order to the sector and prove that mining could be both economically profitable and environmentally sustainable.

Mr. Akwasi Adjei Bawuah, the Regional Director of the Department of Cooperatives, noted that the inauguration was more than a mere formal event; it was a chance to redefine the trajectory of small-scale mining in the Western Region. He emphasized that the five societies bore the responsibility of transforming the long-standing image of small-scale mining as informal, unsafe, and detrimental to the environment, into one built on legality, safety, and shared prosperity.

Mr. Bawuah urged the members and leaders of these societies to make their cooperative bylaws the cornerstone of their activities, warning against any individual assuming superiority over the collective. He called for meticulous record-keeping, open weighing of gold, equitable distribution of profits, and accountability in managing members' assets.

Safety gear, including helmets and boots, should become a routine part of their operations, while tree planting and land restoration should be integral components of each society's activities.