Lands Minister urges five mining cooperatives to restore mined lands

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has urged five small-scale mining cooperatives in the Ellembelle District to pursue gold responsibly and make land restoration a key part of their operations.

“Take the gold, but restore the land,” he charged at Nkroful during the inauguration of five societies under the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP).

The societies — Salman, Atomic, Asanta, Bomoakpole and Akropong — received certificates and permits to support their operations within approved concessions, as part of efforts to bring small-scale mining under effective regulation.

The Minister said the initiative was intended to restore order to the sector and demonstrate that mining could generate economic benefits without causing lasting damage to the environment.

He stressed the need for miners to balance their pursuit of gold with the responsibility to protect the land, rivers and livelihoods of future generations.

The Regional Director of the Department of Cooperatives, Mr Akwasi Adjei Bawuah, described the inauguration as an opportunity to change the way small-scale mining was practised in the Western Region.

He said the five societies had a responsibility to challenge the perception that small-scale mining was inherently destructive by adopting practices that promoted legality, safety and shared prosperity.

Mr Bawuah urged the cooperatives to be guided by their bylaws, stressing that no individual should place themselves above the collective interests of the society.

He also called for transparent record-keeping, open weighing of gold, fair distribution of proceeds and accountability in the management of members’ funds.

On safety and environmental protection, he urged the societies to make protective gear, including helmets and boots, a standard requirement for their members. He further called on them to incorporate tree planting and land reclamation into their mining activities.

The inauguration marks another step in efforts to promote a more organised and environmentally responsible small-scale mining sector, with the five cooperatives expected to demonstrate that gold production and land restoration can go hand in hand.