Stakeholders in extractive sector ask politicians to safeguard environment

Participants at a workshop in Takoradi, have called on the political parties to make environmental issues in relation to the extractive sector, a major feature in their manifestoes and campaign messages for Election 2012.

They also committed themselves to a total review of existing extractive and environmental laws and acts in the interest of the nation.

The two-day workshop aimed at sensitising the media, political parties, assembly members, civil Society organisations (CSOs) and communities on environment and mining issues for peaceful elections in 2012, was organised by WACAM, a non-governmental organisation networking for the protection of the environment, natural resources and the rights of marginalised mining communities.

It was funded by STAR Ghana, a multi-donor funding organisation, focused on increasing the influence of civil society and parliament in governance of public goods and service delivery with the ultimate goal of improving the accountability and responsiveness of government, traditional authorities and the private sector.

The participants drawn from the Western Region, deliberated on the gaps that exist in mining and environmental legislations, the various health and environmental issues associated with mining, the need for comprehensive environmental governance and the responsibility of government to ensure environmental justice.

A communiqué issued at the end of the workshop called on the regulators in the extractive sector to be equipped and resourced to enable them function efficiently and effectively and ensure that major community and civil society participation in environmental issues are based on free access to information and knowledge.

Touching on the media, the participants called for reportage devoid of statements that could trigger conflicts in the general election.

They called on the media to give priority to issues on mining and the environment and to be proactive in its agenda setting and advocacy roles on environmental issues.

The media must also hold political parties accountable to issues contained in their manifestoes and campaign pledges.

The communiqué said the proposed Media Fund should be allocated for Environmental Reporting to encourage media organisations to play their watchdog roles effectively whilst journalists should ensure that government formulates laws to ban mining in forest reserves and enact stringent minerals and mining laws that are in the best interest of the nation.

The participants called on CSOs to demand the total review of Minerals and Mining Act 2006, Act 703 in consultation with the mining communities in order to serve the best interest of the people as well as the issuance of a mineral license after prior consultation with stakeholders.

The communiqué said mining in forest reserves contradict the 1999 national land policy and should be abolished.

The participants cited international principles such as the Polluter Pays Principles and the Free Prior and Informed Consent and asked that these values should be internalised in the Constitution.

Government was called upon to empower and resource the National Commission for Civic Education and other related agencies to carry out their constitutional mandate of educating the public especially mining communities on the Minerals and Mining Act.

“We affirm our resolve to peace-building in Ghana,” the communiqué concluded.

Mr Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, Executive Director of WACAM told the opening ceremony that national figures that uses economic tools to assess the levels of environmental degradation indicates that Ghana’s environmental degradation is about 10 per cent of Gross Domestic Product.

He said a report by the International Tropical Timber Organisation shows that Ghana, Togo and Nigeria have the biggest rates of deforestation out of 65 nations.

Mr Koranteng said "Ghana is confronted with very serious environmental problems that require political actions and solutions in addressing them”.

“The political campaigns and the political agenda have been dominated by economic issues with little or no emphasis on the direct connections between our development options and their environmental consequences.

“The Electorate does not make demands on their political leaders based on commitments to development and environmental issues and political leaders do not think that they have an obligation to take environmental issues serious.”

Mr Koranteng said: “We (Ghanaians) are getting tired of the lamentations of our political leaders on the alarming rate of the depletion of our forest cover, whilst granting mining leases to mining firms to mine minerals in forest reserves.

“Interestingly, political parties that have ruled this country whether past or present have been guilty of this offence against nature. It shows how politicians would continue to look at the economic benefits of development options and downplay the environmental problems associated with them.”

He noted that Ghana’s economy is growing at a rate of about 14.3 per cent whilst the share of the extractive sector in the phenomenal growth is substantial.

Mr Koranteng said, it is important to note that Article 41 K of the 1992 Constitution states that “It is the duty of every citizen to protect and safeguard the environment”.

He said, one way by which citizens could exercise their duties towards environmental stewardship is to hold political office holders responsible based on the commitments towards environmental protection in their political manifestoes and their promises during political campaigns.

“When the space for the political campaigns is filled with demands from the electorate on development and environmental issues, there would be little space left for political trivialities and insults,” he observed.

Mr Koranteng suggested the need for a Green Movement in Ghana for the protection of the environment.

He commended Nana Nketsia V, Omanhene of Essikado for his support to the promotion of peace, the protection of the environment and the development of the nation.**