GNASSM Cautions Small Scale Miners On COVID-19 Epidemic

Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM) cautioning small scale miners to crave good image and be proactive in law-abiding on Covid-19 lockdown, especially in these trying period of recuperating from loses due to over-two (2) years ban on small scale mining.

In a statement released by Chairman of GNASSM Election Transition Management Team (ETMT), Frank Osei aka. Chairman Denero, commended His Excellency Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana, for excluding miners (which must include formalized small scale mining) in the steps of COVID-19 lockdown; this shows how peculiar and beneficial mining (both small and large scale) is to the socio-economic development of Ghana.

GNASSM also takes pride in government decision to restore chairmanship of the inter-ministerial committee on illegal mining (IMCIM) to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Hon. Asoma Cheremeh; which as from day-one GNASSM advocated against the leadership of IMCIM for this anomaly rectified, thus giving our highest gratification.

This rectification now calls for total empowerment in the three (3) Technical Directories and Commissions of MLNR (Minerals Commission, Forestry Commission and Lands Commission) to effectively perform their core regulatory roles to the miners, and most especially the ministerial advisory roles respectively.

The statement also entreated all small scale miners to follow and strictly comply with necessary protocol from the Ghana Health Services (GHS), the Joint Internal Security Operations, comprising: the Ghana Police Service (GPS), the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI); and also the Municipal Rapid Response teams, to enforce the COVID-19 lockdown.

GNASSM hereby encourages all Concessionaires on issuance of ID Cards to Essential & Critical Staff on care and maintenance of mining pits and dewatering, bearing company (mine) name and location; personal protective equipments (ppe's) for easy identification as per free movement; and also provision of ‘Veronica’ buckets with soap and tissues positioned at vantage points of the mine, as we practice personal hygiene of washing of hands under running water, and more so protective masks and hand sanitizers to prevent the mass spread of the COVID-19 epidemic.

The statement finally assured of GNASSM's continual follow up on COVID-19 lockdown for further and better clarification as concerning small scale miners, and in conclusion, quoted the ineradicable sayings of President Nana Akuffo Addo “We know how to bring the economy back to life. What we do not know is how to bring people back to life" thus toning down behavioural attitude to conserve humanity for the better. God bless GNASSM; God bless Ghana.

(Source: Nii Adjetey-Kofi Mensah; GNASSM Communications: Monday, March 30, 2020)