The Attorney-General (A-G), Godred Yeboah Dame, says the Atewa Range Forest Reserve at its present state does not generate enough revenue for the state.
According to the A-G, being represented by Ashia Prempeh Atta, the state has not derived any economic benefits from the forest, which some 11 entities are fighting the government to prevent the latter from mining bauxite in it.
Ashia Prempeh Atta told an Accra High Court hearing the case brought by A. Rocha Ghana and 10 others against the Attorney General that the Government of Ghana, through the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC), intended to harness the benefits of the Atewa forest through sustainable mining and ecotourism.
She added that the government would completely end illegal mining and illegal logging activities within the Atewa Forest.
Madam Atta said this during cross-examination of the second witness, Emmanuel Tabi, who also is a resident of Sagyimase, a community near the Atewa Forest.
She also told the court that agrochemicals from farming activities were the major water pollution agents in the Atewa enclave.
Madam Atta added that technology had evolved so much that there would not be blasting and use of chemicals in mining bauxite.
Emmanuel Tabi, however, disagreed with the A-G, assertion and explained that the forest attracts tourists and by extension generates lots of money for the country.
He informed the court that the areas surrounding the Atewa Forest produces cocoa, plantain and other crops for export, and to the other parts of the country.
Mr. Tabi further stated that agrochemicals, especially those used by cocoa farmers, are regulated, therefore, it was not true that they were responsible for water pollution of the area.
The following are excerpts of the cross-examination:
Q. Good morning Mr. Tabi, at the last adjourned date, you informed the court that you saw at the Awaso mine, that dynamite was being used to blast the earth, did you not?
A. I said the engineer at the site told us how dynamite affects when blasted.
Q. I suggest to you that you are not being truthful to the court?
A. I disagree.
Q. I further suggest to you that bauxite mining does not involve the use of dynamites, and that the current and modern methodology for mining bauxite is the use of the surface miner such as Wirtgen-surface miner, which significantly reduces dust emission and does not produce sound…
A. My lord, I beg to disagree. I was not there alone. It was the engineer at site who took us around and taught us how it is done and demonstrated to us how dynamites are fixed in the land and blasted.
Q. Mr. Tabi, you have informed this court that the people of Sagyimase are predominantly farmers?
A. That is correct.
Q. What is the estimated average age of a farmer in Sagyimase?
A. At least 40.
Q. It, therefore, means that you have a very few youth in farming at Sagyimase?
A. That is not correct.
Q. How many youth are involved in farming at Sagyimase?
A. I will not be able to give a figure, but I know a lot of the youth are engaged in farming.
Q. Mr. Tabi, how much farm produce is exported from Sagyimase to other parts of Ghana?
A. A lot, especially cocoa and plantains.
Q. Mr. Tabi, at the last adjourned date, you informed this court that [the] citizens of Sagyimase, including you, have farms that provide temporary employment as and when they become necessary. Is that correct?
A. That is correct.
Q. Are some citizens of Sagyimase involved in small scale gold mining?
A. Yes, myself; a small number of them.
Q. I put it to you that the farming you talk of at Sagyimase [is] not sustenance farming?
A. I disagree, because cocoa that are harvested in Sagyimase are exported, and vegetables, plantain and other crops are sent to other communities of the country.
Q. I further put it you that there is massive migration of youth from Sagyimase and other mining towns such as Nawa as a result of the unemployment in Sagyimase?
A. I disagree, because if you take the number of people who migrate to other places, they are either students who are going out for education and training purposes as compare to people who come into Sagyimase to work as farmhands. On the average, they could come in more than leaving the community.
Q. I put it to you that you are not being truthful to this court?
A. I disagree. I live in the community, and I know what I’m talking about.
Q. You have just admitted to this court that you don’t live in Sagyimase currently, therefore, the facts, as you have stated in your witness statement, are all untrue?
A. I’m living at Sagyimase and that’s where I’m doing my farms.
Q. The last adjourned date, you have indicated in your witness statement that water that passes through the forest will be greatly affected by the supposed mining, particularly paragraph 10 of your witness statement. Is that correct?
A. Yes.
Q. And you have also informed this court in paragraph 12 that farmers are unable to dilute chemicals for their farms. Is that correct?
A. That is correct. That was when galamsey was at its peak, and with the intervention of organisations like A. Rocha and the security agencies, as I have indicated earlier, the situation is somehow better.
Q. The use of agrochemical by your farmers is the major contributory factor to [the] pollution of water in Sagyimase?
A. I vehemently disagree. Spraying of cocoa is supervised by cocoa services…
Q. I further put it to you that no chemical is used in the mining of bauxite to contaminate any water in Sagyimase?
A. I disagree. As I experience at Awaso, the rain falls; erosion eroded the openings in the top into the River Awa. And also the heavy metals that are dug deep down the earth are one of the sources that make drinking of any water coming from the mines a health hazard.
Q. I’m suggesting to you that you are confusing gold mining with bauxite mining, which does not require any chemical?
A. I disagree. I have already indicated that at Awaso, which is a bauxite mining site, they use earthmoving machines and dynamites.
Q. You have informed this court that some citizens of Sagyimase are involved in small scale mining. Is that correct?
A. Yes.
Q. I put it to you that [the] citizens of Sagyimase have mining know-how?
A. I disagree.
Q. I further put it to you that although bauxite mining may require some technical know-how, particularly at the processing stage, the use of ordinary skills and knowledge such as that of small scale miners in Sagyimase is relevant in the industry?
A. I disagree. I said in my Witness Statement that the few jobs that the people of Sagyimase will be able to do will be menial jobs as to the jobs they will be able to get will be more if the forest is turned into a National Park.
Q. Kindly read Paragraph 21 of your Witness Statement.
A. Reading “…”
Q. Kindly read Paragraph 22.
A. Reading “…”
Q. How many tourists has Atewa attracted in the last five years?
A. I don’t know if there are any records, but I know tourists do go into the forest and the records are not there, because it has not been turned into a National Park as required.
Q. In its current state what income has Atewa Forest generated for this nation?
A. It has generated a lot of money for this nation. I will not be able to put a figure to it.
Q. I put it to you that the Atewa Forest has not generated a lot of money to the nation, as you alleged?
A. I disagree.
Q. I’m suggesting to you that the Government of Ghana, through the GIDEC, intends to harness the benefits of the Atewa Forest through sustainable mining and ecotourism?
A. I disagree.
Q. I further put it to you that [the] Government of Ghana in keeping with development values in the Integrated Aluminium Development Programme has in place local content requirements and training programme for citizens in and around the Atewa Forest?
A. I disagree.
Q. I’m suggesting to you that the possible mining of bauxite on the plateau of the Atewa by the government will completely end illegal mining and illegal logging activities within the Atewa Forest?
A. I disagree.
Q. I’m further putting it to you that these actions the government intends to take and many more are going to greatly benefit, not only communities around the Atewa, but the nation as a whole?
A. I disagree. My experience and observations at the Awaso community where bauxite had been mined for 90 years do not point to any enhancement of the lives of people living in Awaso, except health hazards and difficulties lamented.
Q. I put it to you that you are not being truthful to this court, because the Awaso mine has not been mined for 90 years as you alleged?
A. I disagree.
Q. I further put it you that your testimony to this court is highly exaggerated and the fears you and your community alleged are unfounded?
A. I disagree.
Q. Finally, I suggested to you that the plaintiffs for who you are giving evidence are not entitled to their pleas?
A. I disagree, because I am living at Sagyimase and my house is about 300 metres from the forest, and everything I have written and said is through my experience and observations.
