The flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr John Dramani Mahama has promised to adopt measures to derive maximum benefits from the country’s natural resources instead of foreign companies controlling a chunk of the resources.

He said contracts signed between the state and foreign companies relating to natural resources had put the country at disadvantaged.

Therefore, the next NDC government would do things differently to help the country to obtain the needed resources to fund its development instead of the current system of excessive borrowing.

The Former President was reacting to some concerns raised by miners at a durbar held at Twifo Praso in the Twifo Atti-Morkwa District as part of his two-day tour of the Central Region on Friday.

He had consequently, promised to retool the Ghana Geological Survey Authority (GGSA) to do more geological surveying and data prospecting of the natural resources’ endorsements in the country.

The resource prospecting would focus on the location of various resources, quantity, quality, and other necessities to attract and retain investments in that regard.

The intervention would give the country a higher stake and more benefits from its abundant natural resources instead of the centuries of meagre royalties from foreigners.

“We have lots of natural resource, but the country is not benefiting much from them because we do not invest in prospecting.

“We have allowed investors to do that and give us peanut, but that narrative will change as we seek to resource the GGSA.

“With that, we will have, at least, a 50 per cent stake in our natural resources instead of the 10 per cent free carried interest and three percent mineral royalties and corporate income tax of 35 per cent. This is not the best,” the former President stated.

Similarly, he proposed a stern regulatory regime, training, and decentralised mining administration to ensure artisanal mining is environmentally sustainable.

The vision is hinged on maintaining and restoring the fast depletion of the country’s ecosystem, particularly water bodies and lands from their current states that threaten human existence.

The former President said, contrary to claims by government and duty bearers that the fight against illegal mining (galamsey) was being won, the evidence on the ground was conflicting.

So far, he said government’s commitment to fighting the menace had been ‘disappointing’ and a monumental failure, particularly in protecting the sanctity of the environment.

“We have therefore resolved to adopt new ways of tackling the galamsey problem sustainably. It has become clear the government has failed,” the Presidential candidate of the NDC said.

Though ‘galamsey’ affects many facets of life, one area in which he said impacted more was the pollution of rivers and water bodies.

The extent to which rivers have been polluted exerts significant pressure on individuals who live near and depend on river bodies as a source of drinking water and livelihood.

He began the tour in Cape Coast with a courtesy call on the Oguaa Traditional Council, and Ayeldo in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese Constituency.

He also visited party folks at Nyankomasi Ahenkro in the Assin South Constituency, Twifo Mampong, and Jukwa in Hemang Lower Denkyira.

The former President was accompanied by Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketsia, the Chairman of the NDC and other national, regional and constituency executives.