Wassa Fiase Traditional Council urges govt not to renew Gold Fields lease 

The Wassa Fiase Traditional Council has unanimously called on the Government not to renew the mining lease of Gold Fields Ghana Limited, citing the company’s failure to deliver significant development to host communities despite decades of mining operations.

The Council said its position was based on what it described as years of limited socio-economic benefits to communities within the company’s operational area.

Addressing journalists after a Council meeting on Wednesday, November 04, Nana Abena Kunadjoa II, Paramount Queen Mother of the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area, said the decision was not driven by animosity towards the company but by the desire to secure meaningful development for the people.

She advocated the transfer of the lease to a Ghanaian investor, arguing that local ownership would enhance in-country returns, stimulate the local economy and improve the livelihoods of people in the catchment area.

Nana Kobina Gyan II, Chief of Mahamo, who supported the Council’s position, said years of unfulfilled promises and perceived neglect had compelled traditional authorities to speak with one voice on the issue.

“Years of cheating and unfulfilled promises are what have pushed us to come together to impress upon the government,” he said, adding that Ghanaians were capable of managing their own natural resources and affairs.

Several divisional chiefs also expressed their frustrations during the meeting and endorsed calls for the lease to be granted to a Ghanaian-owned entity.

The chiefs noted that indications from government officials suggested there would be no automatic renewal of the Tarkwa mining lease and that the concession could be subjected to a competitive selection process that favours Ghanaian-centred ownership.

Meanwhile, some traditional authorities and advocacy groups have also expressed support for increased local participation and indigenous control of the country’s gold resources.

They maintained that greater local ownership in the mining sector could help maximise economic benefits and promote sustainable development in mining communities.

GNA