The Ghana Geological Survey Authority has launched a comprehensive set of year-long events and programs to commemorate its 110th-year anniversary.
In his welcome address at the launch held in Accra yesterday, Mr. Isaac Kuuwan Mwinbelle, the Director-General of GGSA, disclosed plans for the commemoration of the 110th-year anniversary. He outlined the anniversary celebration will feature a series of awareness initiatives, forums, and an international conference that will mark the climax of the year-long celebrations.
Delivering a Speech at the launch, the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker, described in detail the precious and valuable contributions of the Ghana Geological Survey Authority to the country.
He spelt out the integral role the GGSA in the discovery of major minerals resources in areas such as; Obuasi, Tarkwa and Akwatia, indicating that but for the instrumental role the GGSA played in the mining sector, Ghana would not have made these major strides in its mining sector.
“Indeed, we cannot go without saying that the Ghana Geological Survey Authority has been instrumental in identifying potential mineral deposits, which have contributed significantly to Ghana’s economic growth.
“For instance, their work discovered significant gold deposits in Tarkwa, Obuasi and Prestea areas, leading to increased mining activities that have created jobs for thousands of Ghanaians over the past century,” he said.
Touching on the theme of the Anniversary, which is “Ghana’s Sustainable Industrial and Socio-economic Transformation: The Pivotal Role of Ghana”, Mireku Duker explained that the country’s transition from the current status-quo in the mining sector to green mining places a lot of responsibility on the GGSA to execute its duties effectively.
The Deputy Minister outlined some major policy interventions by government aimed at the enhancing and increasing the country’s benefit from the mining sector. He charged the GGSA to make its present felt in the socio-economic development of the country.
Whiles assuring the GGSA of the Ministry’s support, he charged the management to engage with stakeholders in order to ensure smooth implementation of the Legislative Instrument that will lead to the effective operationalisation of Act 2016.
“The Government recognises that for GGSA to be more responsive and to contribute meaningfully to the developmental agenda of the Government through the provision of up-to-date geo-scientific data, there is the need to enact Legislative Instruments (LIs) to help operationalise the Ghana Geological Survey Authority Act, 2016 (Act 928).
I want to assure everyone that the Ministry will be available to provide the necessary support to realise this vision, not just for the benefit of GGSA, but for Mother Ghana,” he said.
The GGSA must continue to strengthen collaboration and stakeholder engagements with the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, Traditional Authorities and other Government Agencies to make the implementation process a smooth one.
The Director General of the GGSA, Mr Isaac Mwinbelle, recounted the story behind the establishment and successes of the GGSA, highlighting their integral role in the setting up of key and strategic national assets like the Akosombo Dam, Kpone Dam, Accra-Tema Motorway and Tema Harbour, among others.
He spoke of the commitment by the current management to ensure the full operationalisation of Act 2016 through the passing of a Legislative Instrument.
Mr. Kuuwan Mwinbelle also mentioned that his outfit was in process of firming up a ten strategic plan that will place the GGSA in a position where it can play its role effectively and contribute to national growth.
He admitted that the GGSA’s will continue to liaise with the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to ensure that siting of structures are done in accordance with safety protocols.
The Board Chair of GGSA, Mr P.Y. Amoako said that “in an era where the conversation around climate change the economic sustainability is loudest, the GGSA ‘s role in geo-hazard mitigation has become increasingly crucial with the monitoring of seismic activities and geo-hazards to safeguard our communities and critical infrastructure.
“Our work in land-use planning ensures that our geological responses are developed responsibly, minimizing environmental impact and maximizing societal benefits”.
