The Sompahene of Ahafo Nkaseim in the Asutifi South District of the Ahafo Region, Nana Yaw Sarpong has lauded the government through the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry for initiating Responsible Small-Scale Community Mining Scheme which has come to stay.
Nana Yaw Sarpong, a businessman and a licensed small scale miner who had his training in Sustainable Small Scale Mining Operations Course in the University of Mines and Technology, UMaT, in the year 2018 and awarded with a certificate for undergoing through the training at Tarkwa in the western region disclosed that the opportunity given to him by the government to acquire the training has indeed assisted him to operate a very Responsible Small Scale Mining activities including others who also had the opportunity to be trained.
According to him, he has been able to employ over Six thousand (6,000) workers at his concession which has also created jobs for people to come and sell food items and other personal human needs at his mining site adding that he has provided a very decent place of convenient, hygienic food joint, a community information Centre, a befitting clinic / health Centre, which was recommended by the Asutifi South District Health Directorate, a spacious pavilion that accommodate workers and visitors at the mining site including a very strong security to safeguard workers and visitors at the mining site.
Nana Yaw Sarpong further hinted that since the introduction of the Responsible Small-Scale Community Mining Scheme barely 5 years ago it has helped to reduce the illegal mining (Galamsey) activities which was polluting Ghana’s rivers and water bodies as well as the environment.
He appealed to individuals within the small-scale mining industry to resort to the community mining scheme and initiative and embrace because it has come to stay.
The Ahafo Nkaseim Sompahene also appealed to the government through the Lands and Natural Resources ministry to assist license small scale miners to acquire mining concessions from the large-scale mining companies by seeding off part of their acquired concessions for community mining purposes.
“My small-scale mining company also caters Nana Danso Senior High School at Nkaseim through the school feeding programme” he lamented, adding that “the company have selected about 50 needy people in Nkaseim Community and supports them with GHC 15,000 every two months.”
Nana Yaw Sarpong further commended the minister for Lands and Natural Resources, the honourable Samuel Abu Jinapor, his Deputy in charge of mining, the honourable George Mireku Duker, and honourable Benito Owusu Bio, Deputy minister in charge of Forestry for their hardworking efforts in making sure the country’s rivers, water bodies, forest reserves and the entire environments are being protected.
