Mining communities urged to channel grievances to appropriate bodies

Nkroful (W/R), July 28, GNA - Mining communities have been urged to channel their grievances to the appropriate government's institutions for redress to forestall clashes between them and mining companies. The Environmental Programme Officer of Third World Network, an NGO, Alhaji Abdulai Dramani, gave the advice when he opened a two-day sensitization workshop on mining on Monday at Nkroful in the Western Region. Thirty-two participants made up of 26 men and six women from seven communities in the Ellembenle District of the Western Region are attending the workshop. The communities are Nkroful, Teleko Bokazo, Anwia, Bomoakpole, Nvenlesolo, Mfoma and Asasetre. The Third World Network and the Friends of the Nation in collaboration with the youth of the communities are jointly organising and sponsoring the workshop.

Alhaji Dramani stressed the need for government, mining companies and the affected communities to come to terms before mining activities could take off. Mr Stephen Donkor, who represented the youth in the area, urged the Adamus Resource Limited, a gold prospecting company to negotiate with the people before stating mining. He appealed to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to carry an environmental impact assessment of the surface mining activities in the affected communities.