From curse to blessing - finding the right balance between exploitation and exploration

Tumivolɛ Kaku Aka III, Awulae Annor Adjaye III, Awulae Amihyia Kpanyinli III, Awulae Agyevi Kwame II, Awulae Atiburukusu III, Awulae Angama Tu Agyan II, Nanamɔ, Mr Chairman, Hon MPs and DCEs of Nzema, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

For the first time in my life, I'm excited to see a conference organized by Nzema people to talk about, and hopefully leave here with actionable steps for Nzema development. It is said that the first step in solving a problem is acknowledging that there is one. Yɛyɛ bɛ mo somaa. Ayekoo!

Nzema is blessed. If Nzema was a country, we would be self sufficient. Look around you. We have Azule Tanoɛ (River Tano), Azule Siane (River Ankobra), Azule Amanzule (river Amanzule), Subile, Dwɛnye, countless lagoons and streams, the sea, a beautiful coastline, expansive arable land, we have oil, gas, and countless minerals under our land. We are blessed indeed!!!

Nzema may not be the most highly educated, but man do we have some of the most acclaimed personalities - King Kaku Aka I who stood up to the white man when others dared not, and held Nzema together for as long as he could, Professor Wilhelm Anton Amoh, the first African to school in Europe, Paa Grant, the visionary who set Ghana on the path to Self Governance and Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's Founder and African of the Milennium. Did you know that the Chief Imam, his Eminence Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, Ghana’s beloved symbol of religious harmony and peace, is an Nzema?

Sadly, the wealth of our mineral and oil and gas resources have yet to be fully felt in the lives of many of our compatriots. Every year, Billions of dollars worth of Oil and Gas is taken offshore along our coast. Yet, these very communities contain some of the poorest people in Ghana today. There is ZERO earmarked funds from this resource that is taken off our coast from Cape Three Points (Andenrenle) to Newtown (Avoleɛnu). Ironically, Jomoro which gave Ghana victory in its dispute with La Cote D'ivoire over the oil resource has some of the worst road networks in Ghana today.

It is not right, and we must not be ok with it. As custodians of the land and as indigenes, best practice requires that some equity interest accrue to indigenous peoples. Our equity interest should take care of us and our most vulnerable. Not charity. This wrong must be rectified by the state of Ghana and all Companies operating in Nzema, especially the Jubilee Partners, Eni, Ghana Gas, Nguvu Holdings and the rest.

Did you know that Adamus Resources has had four different owners in its existence, with the most recent change happening just last year? A one-year-old private company, Nguvu Holdings, now owns 90% of Adamus, whose concessions is almost a third of Ellembelle? Let me may ask: How much of this is owned by the Community?

To make it easier, we have made the case for a West Coast Economic Development Fund . I entreat all of you here to take a read [1] , and let us start with it.

It is in the same vein, ie the need to be represented as equity partners rather than as a charity case, that we have laid out Nzema Maanle Concerns and Recommendations for the proposed Petroleum Hub project in Jomoro [2] . We recommend action in four main areas:

Land Size; Equitable Compensation & Opportunity; Environmental Protection and Infrastructure, Social & Skills Development.

Again I entreat you all to please read. In the interest of equity, fairness, social justice, and best practices when it comes to indigenous peoples. The time of exploitation is over.

Now to our mineral wealth. Look around you.

Around Nkroful, Telekubokazo, Anwia, Akango, Ewereko. Look at the Ankobra, Subile, River Tano and the Juen Lagoon. Individuals and some companies have exploited these to the extent where communities along these rivers have become death traps. Mercury, Cyanide and Arsenic contamination is at alarming levels. The communities are at risk while these exploiters live in opulence. As I speak, we are in the middle of a missing excavator saga that is the envy of hollywood. This disaster must end, and it must end now.

How can this mineral wealth be extracted in a way that benefits our communities?

There are 2 main types of mining. Mining streams and riverbeds for gold deposits, also called Alluvial Mining and there is underground mining.

Alluvial mining does not require any skills. With a few hours of training, some gear and nowadays, an excavator, mercury and cyanide, you can start doing alluvial mining in a swamp, along a stream or river or like we've seen here, even in the middle of town. This benefits the few people financing it. Not even those in the trenches benefit. Why? Because they mostly end up dead or chronically ill from mercury poisoning in a few years.

But ask yourself. "who bears the greater risk of the environmental catastrophe they leave behind? In the year 2020 alone, an estimated 120 tonnes of Gold were mined in Ghana. 35,274 ×120 = 4.2m ounces = $7.6bn USD at $1800 per ounce.

How much do you think went to the government of Ghana? Less than $200m.

How much to communities like Jomoro, Ellembelle and Evalue Dwira?

What about the environmental cost? 2 people I know died in Elllembelle falling into pits. 1 at Anwia and 1 at Telekubokazo. About four others have also died in relation to skirmiches between the community and a known mining company, with some injured and maimed for life. We have open pits filled with mercury and cyanide. Some have been around for more than two years. We see cocoa farms and palm tree plantations, results of many years of toils by our hardworking farmers torn down in one night. The destroyed Juen lagoon, Ankobra, Tanoɛ, Subile deprive fishermen and farmers of their livelihood. The lost forest cover resulting in flooding. The health impact of the heavy metals seeping to our underground water system and our food chain is going to be felt now and decades to come. Currently any mining going on in Nzema is Alluvial. From large companies like Adamus to the recent galamsey at NASS that landed the DCE of Ellembelle in prison. All of them. Now let's ask ourselves. How has this benefitted the people? Even with the so-called legal regime, can anyone in this room point to a single mined area that has been successfully reclaimed?

Underground mining on the other hand, is more resource intensive and requires more planning and investment. It comes with good jobs, has less impact on the environment and can be better regulated. Here’s my question to us all.

Can we, a United Nzema, insist that we do not want any mining on our land UNLESS it is better regulated, underground mining with assured safeguards and benefits for our people and the environment? Of Course, we can. And we must.

No, I don’t mean the royalties focused ones like our siblings in Obuasi and Prestea are dealing with. The royalties focused mining regime in Ghana is a colonial relic that must change if we want our communities to be like Capetown in South Africa and other thriving, developed mining communities in the world.

So, since Nzema has usually led the conversation and major developments in the country, what can we do to change the narrative?

First we must tell the Government of Ghana that

a. Nzema lands are not for alluvial mining. No mining can happen on our lands without Nananom allowing it. It means that, respectfully, if our Nzema lands get destroyed by alluvial mining, whether legal or illegal, Nananom are responsible for it. May I refer to the recent case of kwawblay, near Nuba, where our own Tumivole Kaku Aka III and the youth stood up, fought against it and sent the Galamsey / Communing Mining troops away. Similarly, the

Effutu Traditional Council who came together to denounce any mining in the Muni-Pomadze Ramsar Site. They stood firm, and government yielded. We need to see the same. Nanamɔ, with all due respect.

b. Any investor who comes to do underground mining in Nzema or any kind of venture must ensure that irrespective of what government takes, the immediate community as well as Nzema Maanle must have an equity stake in it. It must be a take it or leave it affair. Trust me. If it makes economic sense, they will take it. Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR can be on top of equity interest. It can never replace the people's stake in their land. Again Equity not Charity.

c. Our land has many uses and so we mustn't blindly agree to mining that doesn't benefit our people. The Tourism value of Nkroful and Half Assini as a result of Nkrumah alone can earn us billions. What it takes is proper planning, branding and infrastructure. But who will visit a mercury comtaminated land with open galamsey pits?

Axim, Beyinli and Half Assini have castles and other relics that can attract a lot of tourists. We have a beautiful, mostly serene coastline. We have Amanzule that runs from Azulenloanu to Nzulezo and beyond, with several serene tributaries. Imagine the potential for tourism and recreation? Culturally we boast of a unique culture, a rich history that we can showcase with pride. We can develop large scale coconut, cassava and other crops, add value for local consumption and export.

In short, we have everything it takes to give our people jobs in a clean, sustainable and safe manner. What we need are leaders with the right vision and grit to get us there. We have them in this room. Let's start today. For the past, present and future pride of Nzema.

God bless Nzema Maanle, God bless our homeland Ghana!

Thank you

Meyɛ bɛ muala mo somaa.