Ahafo Mining communities sensitized on resettlement negotiations

A day’s capacity building workshop on mining-induced resettlement and resettlement negotiation has taken place in Sunyani for some affected communities within Newmont Ahafo South and North mining areas.

The purpose of the training was to equip the Ahafo Resettlement Negotiation Committee (RNC) members with the necessary legal tools and knowledge to improve their negotiation skills for efficient negotiation with Newmont and a better resettlement package for the farmers they represent.

The programme was organised by Livelihood and Environment Ghana (LEG), an environmental and human rights NGO with funding from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs through TWN-Africa under the Peoples’ Voice Project-Fair4All.

It was attended by members of the Resettlement Negotiation Committees drawn from Apensu, Dokyikrom, Ahafo North and some affected communities’ members, farmers and the youth.

Speaking at the training programme, Dr. Samuel Kumi, an Environmental Scientist and Resource Governance Expert, noted that even though mining offers socio-economic and geopolitical opportunities such as revenue for the state and the local assembly, jobs and a surge in socio-economic activities, it also gives significant cost to the affected communities, particularly if it induces resettlement.

Cost implications
Dr. Kumi, who is also a lecturer at the Department of Environmental Management of the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Sunyani, explained that understanding the cost implications of mining-induced resettlement on households is critical for defence and survival or sustainability of the affected rural households.

“Paradoxically, resettlement is often the most controversial part of mining. The impact of mining-induced resettlement is significant on rural households because close to 80% of rural households’ consumption base or sustenance is dependent on ecosystem services which are accessed in the immediate environment without much toil or cost to the rural folks,” he further explained.

Dr. Kumi was emphatic that disturbance, deprivation or alienation of these resources through mining resettlement heavily affected the livelihood and wellbeing of the people, worsening the condition of already impoverished households.

This, he stated, requires diligent and deliberately balanced negotiation between the mines and the affected households.

He mentioned increased poverty, reduced access to basic services such as healthcare and education, loss of cultural identity and heritage, disruption to community cohesion, loss of social networks, changes in livelihoods, impacts on physical and mental well-being, increased social inequality, disparities or misunderstanding wealth distribution and access to resources and unequal power structure or dynamics as some of the social cost to households in mining areas.

“The impacts can include strained family relationships, social isolation, and a sense of loss of community, loss of familiar surroundings and support networks. All are tough impacts, and it takes time and effort to rebuild those connections in a new place. It's not about the physical displacement, but also the emotional impact on families. This can lead to a sense of displacement and identity crisis,” Dr Kumi added.

For his part, the Executive Director of LEG, Mr. Richard Adjei-Poku, explained that the training formed part of his organisation’s advocacy on mineral governance and policy engagement.

He said even though Ghana is the 9th largest gold producer in the world, the country has not really maximized its benefits.

“Only 5% of the gross income from gold production goes to the entire state, with the remaining 95% going to the foreign companies who are mining here”, he said and added that most of these gold mining companies intentionally inflate their operation cost as a way of avoiding some taxes.

He condemned the process and mode of compensation paid by these companies and explained that there are a lot of flaws in the way various amounts are arrived at as compensation for the affected persons and the miserable types of building the companies normally offer to affected persons as resettlement.

Economic empowerment
He also mentioned that LEG has in the last nine years been supporting some deprived persons, especially women, to undertake income generation ventures in collaboration with TWEDA and Sunyani Area Teachers Credit Union.

He said this year alone, GHS400,000 is being disbursed to selected women within Ahafo to enhance their livelihoods.