Member of Parliament for Bole-Bamboi, Yusif Sulemana, has accused the Lands Minister, Samuel Jinapor, and the Minerals Commission of granting mining concessions to foreign entities without proper consultation.
According to him, the lack of consultation led to heightened tensions in the Constituency.
He stated that some NPP executives were reportedly assaulted by soldiers guarding these mining sites.
“It is an issue that we are all worried about. It’s on record that from the beginning of our constituency, that is Bamboi, and to the end of it, has plenty mineral companies on both the right and left sides of the road and so of course, we have some galamsey activities going on there.”
According to the MP, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources issued licenses to only four small-scale mining companies since February, while granting land to over seven large-scale miners without engagement with stakeholders.
“Unfortunately, from February to date, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has allocated the lands to over 7 large scale miners and the problem was that there was no proper stakeholder consultations. And so the youth are there and they will see heavy equipment coming to take over what they are doing and that is where the clash is coming from.”
According to Mr Sulemana, it is only the NPP executives who are given the “juicy” places to do their galamsey work.
He added that the vice chairman of the NPP and the secretary have been hospitalised as they were brutalised by the military.
“They were brutalized because some ministers have asked the military to go and protect the Chinese who are they doing whatever they call it. They say it’s prospecting but I am telling you that they are mining.”
“The bottom line is that the minister responsible for lands and natural resources must tell us why he is portioning the land to large-scale miners without stakeholder arrangement. Nobody is saying he doesn’t have the right.”
“Per the constitutional arrangement, whatever is in the soil is being kept on behalf of the people by the president. So the president can allocate land for such mineral activities. But in doing so, we have laws that have also asked that, you do that in consultation with the stakeholders.”
Yusif Sulemana warned there will be further disturbances if the process of handing out these mining concessions is not streamlined.
“My appeal to the minister is that he should tread cautiously in terms of the way he allocates the land to large-scale miners. He can do that by ensuring the youth are also given small-scale mining processes so that it balances out.”
Source: myjoyonline.com
