Youth for Action Ghana (YAG) has slammed some chiefs in the Akyem Kotoku area of the Eastern Region for selfishly and shamefully campaigning for Newmont Gold Ghana Limited to mine in the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve.

In a release copied to The Enquirer, YAG noted with grave concern attempts by the ‘Newmont Chiefs’ to sell the future of Ghana and the heritage of future generation for a mere pittance.

Newmont has reportedly bribed the chiefs with a whopping $42,000 for them to campaign and support the American mining firm in its bid to destroy the forest reserve for gold.

Further, YAG noted that Newmont Akyem project has become the most controversial mining project in the country for many reasons. Some of the reasons include the fact that the Akyem project of Newmont would establish a pit in the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve.

“The Newmont Akyem project has come under serious criticism from NGOs, Religious leaders, Farmers and it was reported that the UN sent a query to the government of Ghana on the potential impacts of the mine”, the release continued.

“Recently, 270 Farmers from the area of the Newmont Akyem project sent a petition against the Newmont Akyem project to the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology. The media attacks by some Akyem Kotoku chiefs on advocacy NGOs especially WACAM and the allegations of bribery of the chiefs had added to the controversies surrounding the Newmont Akyem project”, it said. YAG said some of the reasons given by the Akyem Kotoku chiefs for their support for the Newmont Akyem project are that it would lead to the development of the area; the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve is a depleted Forest Reserve and that if Newmont is not permitted to mine the gold reserves in the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve, the gold reserves would be mined by galamsey operators YAG added that these are the same reasons advanced by Newmont to support its Akyem project. It accentuated that there is no evidence to show that surface mining has “developed” any area in Ghana.

“Rather, there is enough evidence to show that people in areas like Tarkwa, Obuasi, Kenyase that have experienced surface mining have complained about destruction of livelihoods through lack of access to land, displacement of thousands of people, pollution of water bodies, conflicts, youth unemployment, compensation problems among others”.

YAG said that it is for this reason that it condemns recent media statements that the Parliamentary sub Committee on Poverty reduction had commended some mining companies including Newmont Ahafo mine and Goldfields Ghana Limited because the operations of the companies had reduced poverty in the mining communities where these companies operate. “The position of the Parliamentary sub committee on Poverty reduction that surface mining has reduced poverty in mining communities is far from the truth. Surface mining which deprives farming communities of land; pollutes streams, results in the payment of very small compensation for the destruction of important crops such as cocoa and leads to human rights abuses cannot reduce poverty in areas where the people are predominantly farmers”, YAG noted. It added that “there is enough research by credible organizations like ISSER of University of Ghana to prove that surface mining has worsened poverty in mining communities. A research carried out by the Ghana Chamber of Mines (an organization of the mining companies) and published in many newspapers stated that about 80% of mining community people expressed dissatisfaction about the compensation they received”.

It continued “The argument that Ajenua Bepo is already a depleted Forest Reserve so it must be mined is a strange logic. Many Ghanaians including Politicians, progressive chiefs, and Religious leaders are expressing worry about the rate of depletion of our Forest Reserves and that is why government has received a lot of support in the form of grants to rehabilitate depleted Forest Reserves.” In this regard, YAG is demanding information from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources on the financial support and grants received for the rehabilitation of depleted Forest Reserves in general and also specifically for Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserves if any.

It also stated that it is aware of the claims of Newmont that it would engage in tree planting under the Business and Biodiversity Offsets Programme to mitigate the destruction of the rich biodiversity of the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve. YAG however rubbished such claims saying that ‘this is a green washing statement because biodiversity once destroyed is lost forever’.

“The argument by the Akyem Kotoku chiefs that if Newmont is not allowed to mine the gold deposits in the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve, “galamsey” operators would invade the Forest Reserve to mine the gold is weak and unpatriotic”, it stressed.

‘The expectation of Youth for Action Ghana is that, the chiefs would have taken on the challenge of playing their role in ensuring that “galamsey” operators do not invade the Ajenua Forest Reserve’

“So far, there are no signs that “galamsey” operations are being undertaken in the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve. Youth for Action Ghana is disturbed by the statement of the Akyem Kotoku chiefs that “galamsey” operators would invade the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve once it is established that there are gold deposits in the Forest Reserve because the statement constitute a signal to “galamsey” operators to invade the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve to justify the permission for Newmont to mine in the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve”.

“In the opinion of Youth for Action Ghana, the “galamsey” argument would be valid only when we think that Ghana does not have the technical know how and the political will to protect our Forest Reserves”.

YAG said that the “galamsey” argument cannot be possible if the Akyem Kotoku chiefs and people in the area do not support the invasion of “galamsey” operators in Ajenua Bepo Reserve. It added that “Government would exhibit total ineptitude to deal with the wrongs in our society if it buys into the argument that if Newmont does not mine in the Ajuenua Bepo Forest Reserve, “galamsey” operators would mine the gold deposits in the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve by all means”.

In conclusion, YAG demanded that government should subject the decisions relating to the Newmont Akyem project to public discussion which would involve identifiable groups such as the Christian Council of Ghana, NGOs, the Ghana Trades Union Congress, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Ghana, the media, the Ghana Muslims Council, the Ahmadiyya Movement, the National Union of Ghana Students, Political Parties, Gender Groups, Parliamentarians among others. “ The Forest Reserves are national properties and we should not allow a few chiefs to advocate for their destruction against the interest of posterity to satisfy their personal interest”, it emphasized.