The Paramount Chief of Asante Asokore Traditional Area, Nana Susubribi Krobea Asante, has petitioned the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources against the grant of mineral rights to Leo Mining Company at Senkye in the Sekyere East District of Ashanti.
The chief explained the grounds for the protest in the fact that prior to the publication of the notice on September 26, 2023 by the Minerals Commission, announcing the application by the said mining company, no official of the Commission or the State had consulted the President of the Asokore Traditional Council, its members or any of the elders of Senkyi, which now has an interim traditional head.
The President argued that although the Constitution vests stool lands in chiefs in trust for their people, the marginalization of traditional leaders in the country’s regulatory regime for prospecting and mining operations is a major defect in our endeavours to establish a healthy, viable and safe mineral sector.
According to him, chiefs are expected to assist in preventing harmful mining operations, but have no input either in the formulation of policy or determination of the applications for mining operations even though chiefs and their respective communities are the victims of destructive mining operations.
Nana Susubribi Krobea Asante also known as Nana Dr. S. K. B. Asante at a news conference at Asante Asokore reiterated his position against the said grant of mineral rights per a petition of November 14, 2023 to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources.
“For nearly three decades of my traditional role as Paramount Chief of Asante Asokore Traditional Area, it has been the determined and compelling policy of the chiefs and people of Asokore Traditional Area to thoroughly refrain from engaging in or permitting surface mining on the premises that the practice is highly injurious to the environment, water bodies, eco-system arrangement, productivity as an agricultural community and our health,” he said stressing that surface mining is a serious existential threat to our livelihood.
He said like neighbouring communities of Mampong, Nsuta, Oyoko, Effiduase and Sekyere, collectively referred to as Sekyere Area, the Asokore Traditional Area is resolutely opposed to surface mining explaining the rejection of a request some 15 years ago by the Asokore Traditional Council for support of an application for surface mining at Atakrom near the River Anunu.
The Asokoremanhene referred to the strong support by the authorities of the Ghana Water Company in opposing this application and pointed out that any surface mining in that area would totally destroy the river body of Anunu and the entire water supply system in that part of Asokore Traditional Area. Also the water systems serving towns and areas such as Konongo, Bompata and Juaso in neighbouring Asante Akyem could be affected.
In the circumstance, the Asokore Traditional Council has noted that the proposed concession or mineral rights for NEO Mining Limited would certainly pollute and destroy the water bodies of Abenaa and Anunu Rivers to the detriment not only of Asokore Traditional Area, but also neighbouring Bompata, Juaso and distant Konongo.
The position of the Traditional Council is also strengthened by the findings and recommendations of scientists and other qualified professionals in the field and referred to a statement by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences on its grave concerns about the devastating effect of surface mining.
“GAAS is deeply concerned about the current crisis generated by the wanton destruction of our environment by surface mining. The Academy is concerned that the environment that provides all the natural resources for our well-being as a people is being destroyed and that citizens have become powerless, watching and not able to do anything about it,” he quoted the GAAS as saying.
The Asokore Traditional Council noted that the fight against “galamsey” would never succeed if the Government continued to grant licenses for surface mining following findings that holders of licenses for prospecting and surface mining do even more substantial damage than amateurish illegal operators.
He contended that indigenes in the Traditional Area like in other Traditional Areas, would never appreciate why they should be restrained from local mining operations while mining by non-indigenes continues to have a devastating impact on their entire community.
The Paramount Chief of Asante Asokore Traditional Area, Nana Susubribi Krobea Asante, on behalf of the Traditional Council has appealed to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to deny the application by Leo Mining Company and issue appropriate instructions to the Minerals Commission in that regard.
The concerns and position of the Asokore Traditional Council and the elders of Senkyi have duly been brought to the attention of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene; the National House of Chiefs, Ashanti Region House of Chiefs, District Chief Executive of the Sekyere East District and the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission.
