Bauxite: ‘You can’t eat your cake and have it, you've failed miserably in galamsey fight’ – Atewa residents to Abu Jinapor

A group calling itself Concerned Citizens of the Atewa Landscape have described the government’s uncompromising position on mining bauxite in the Atewa forest as unfortunate.

Despite several assurances from the government through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources that bauxite mining in the forest will be to the benefit of Ghanaians and the forest would not be harm in the process, the residents insist the reverse will be the fate of the Ghanaian.

“No one can eat the cake and still have it. The minister must be told in no uncertain words that, he and the government have failed miserably with galamsey and its accompanying problems and which it ought to have resigned honorably. Whatever benefits the minister claims would inure to the benefit of the Ghanaian are only a fleeting illusion to be pursued but never attained,” the residents said in a statement signed by their president, Oteng Adjei.

The statement said the singular loss of the three major rivers – Densu, Birim and Ayensu - cannot be compensated for whatsoever and “wherein lies the perseveration of the integrity of the Atewa albeit the thin line”?

“What are the guarantees of the minister’s assertion that bauxite mining in Atewa will be done in a manner that will not unreasonably compromise the ecological integrity of the forest,” they quizzed.

According to the residents, the posture of the government on Atewa shows that “myopically,” it only sees bauxite and nothing else in Atewa as observed by concerned environmentalists.

The residents insist Atewa is a no go area for mining.

Background

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor in an interview with Aljazeera Media Network on Sunday, 24 April 2022, assured that the President Akufo-Addo-led government will not needlessly compromise the integrity of Atewa Forest but rather exploit it for the ultimate benefit of the Ghanaian people.

"Government and GIADEC continue to be fully committed to the preservation of the Atewa Forest and ensure that the exploitation of the bauxite in Atewa is in the ultimate interest of the Ghanaian people and is in the public interest. They are also working to ensure that the integrity of the forest is preserved," he said.

The Minister said Ghana Integrated Aluminum Development Corporation (GIADEC) has Atewa Forest as one of the key projects being relentlessly pursued by government together with Awaso, Nyinahin - Mpasaaso, Kyebi and Valco projects, all in efforts to build an integrated iron and Aluminium industry.

Mr Jinapor added that "government is, therefore, putting in place measures to ensure that particularly, bauxite and iron ore are built with the full value chain retained here in Ghana and we have created bureaucracies here like the GIADEC and GISDEC which are going to be responsible for building the full value chain of this bauxite and iron ore."

The Minister explained that the thin line between mining the bauxite and preserving the environment is striking a delicate balance to ensure that the country's industrialisation drive continues because these minerals he opined are the starting point for industrial development and prosperity of the country.

"We cannot progress and unleash the prosperity our people so dearly need without industrialisation and we cannot industrialise without building these integrated bauxite and iron industries," he stated.

The Minister maintained that government is also ensuring that the bauxite in Atewa are exploited in a manner that does not unreasonably compromise the ecological integrity of the forest.

Touching on the production of Gold, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources indicated that government intends to keep Ghana's position as the leading producer of Gold and the 6th on the world scale and even do more.

He added that the President of the Republic has plans of changing the equation of Ghana being a major resource rich country which only produces raw material to a country that builds and retains the full value chain of its Minerals.

"Government is, therefore, making efforts to ensure that refineries in Ghana acquire the London Bullion Market Association Certification (LBMA) and become fit for purpose to participate in the global refinery industry."

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