Communities In Tatale-Sanguli District Of The Northern Region Sensitized On The Negative Effects Of Mining

The Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining now known as WACAM in collaboration with other NGOs such as the African Center for Energy Policy ACEP, Center for Public Interest law CEPIL and Center for Environmental Impact Law CEIA, with support from OSIWA have sensitized Residents of the five major communities surrounding the Iron Ore exploitation site at Sheini on dangers associated with mining activities in the country.

The communities included Kandin, Sangbaa, Wajadho, Nankando and Sheini who are directly or indirectly affected by the activities of the Iron Ore exploitation at Sheini in the Tatale-Sanguli District of the Northern Region.

WACAM is Non-governmental Organization that for the past two decades has been combating for communities and individuals who are being affected by activities of mining as well as giving support in both health and financial needs of affected people.

The organization has been working with other NGOs to ensure the enforcement of laws governing mining activities of the country and fair share of the people including their rights protection.

At a workshop to review a baseline studies on environmental, Health, Livelihoods and Socio-economic impacts of Iron Ore exploitation in Sheini by WACAM in partnership with ACEP, CEPIL, and CEIA with support from OSIWA , the residents were made to understand the health hazards as well as physical environmental destruction accompanies by the mining activities in the area.

According to the Associate Executive Director of WACAM Mrs. Hannah Owusu Koranteng, environmental degradation and health hazards are common in areas where mining activities takes place in the country.

She noted that human right violations and lost of human lives are also experienced in mining areas owing to lack of education on the part of the companies doing the mines. She said, both the government and mining companies have the responsibility of educating people in communities where mining activities takes place to protect lives and the environment.

And called on both government and mining companies to always engage the people of communities before commencing mining activities starts to ensure that the lives of the people and the environment are not put in danger.

Adding that, the laws of the country makes it mandatory for people in a community where mining takes place to be fully aware of the health and environmental effects associated with the mining activities.

She advised government to do a cost benefit analysis of mining and its contribution to the national economy. She lamented that, for many years Ghana has been into surface mining but can’t still explain the country benefits of mines base on cost benefit analysis.

Some of the percipients who spoke to Bishara Impact News' Abdul-Fatawu Adam Wunizoya thanked WACAM and its partners for educating them on their rights on the exploitation and usage of natural resources within their areas and appealed to government to negotiate well on their behalves so that the country can benefit at large.

According them, there is high rate of illiteracy in the district so the need for more schools to be built to facilitate easy access to education.

And called on the mining company doing the exploitation to repair their roads for them and also provide hospitals for them to have easy access to health care service when they fall sick due to the exploitation activities.