Participants at a responsible mining forum in Nkoranza, Bono East Region, have expressed huge disappointment in Ghana’s mining laws, calling for an immediate review.
Despite amendments to the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), they argued out that it still failed to serve the country’s best interests.
Some questioned whether the law was crafted with adequate local consultation, while others speculated it might have been written to favour external interests.
The forum, organised by Wacam, a human rights and environmental mining advocacy NGO, with support from The Fund for Global Human Rights, brought together diverse stakeholders, including Assembly members, traditional authorities, security agencies, civil society organisations (CSOs), clergy, Imams, community members and the media on April 16, 2025.
The forum aimed to strengthen community groups’ knowledge and use of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), enabling them to present a common voice on mining decisions and effects.
It also sought to encourage the stakeholders’ participation in local government decision-making processes on mining, driving policy changes and practices that benefit communities while protecting their rights and environment.
The participants emphasised the need for members of Parliament to actively engage their constituents before and after the passage of bills into laws.
According to them, this will inform MPs to make laws that will be in the interest of Ghanaians and by extension Ghana.
Against this backdrop, the participants stated that they will petition Parliament to consider reviewing the laws again.
In a presentation on the “Use of FPIC and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) As Tools in Decision-Making,” the Associate Executive Director of Wacam, Mrs. Hannah Owusu-Koranteng, underscored that FPIC was not just about giving information on a viable project but participation.
She explained that implementing FPIC helps both educated and uneducated individuals in mining communities become better informed to make decisions on projects coming into their areas.
FPIC encompasses legal, ethical, and natural rights, making its application crucial for preventing conflicts in mining communities, she added.
“FPIC is not a one-off principle but requires mining companies to apply it at every stage of their projects,” she noted.
Mrs. Owusu-Koranteng lamented that although Ghana has signed many conventions and protocols on FPIC, its application remains a challenge.
“Ghana has become a signatory to many conventions and protocols on FPIC, yet its application has not been felt, especially in mining areas,” she bemoaned.
She informed participants about a study commissioned by Wacam in 2023, which revealed how residents in Nkoranza South successfully used FPIC to drive away Newmont Ghana Gold Limited and Ghana National Petroleum Corporation from their lands.
The Technical Director of Wacam, Kwaku Afari, presented on “Mining and Development,” emphasising the need for people in mining areas to understand Ghana’s mining laws.
While acknowledging mining’s revenue generation, he stressed that it should not compromise human rights and community lives.
“Why should the exploitation of gold lead to deaths of community people?” he asked.
Mr. Afari criticised the Minerals and Mining Act for allowing mining companies to alter river courses serving mining communities, contributing to water pollution.
He said irresponsible mining in mining communities was contributing to pollution of water bodies, adding that it was not surprising that Water Guards were being recruited.
He also highlighted the government’s use of eminent domain to acquire lands for mining companies, citing the Tano North Municipality example where lands were acquired for Newmont.
Story By: Dennis Ato Keelson
