The Paramount Chief of the Essikado Traditional Area, Nana Kobina Nketsia V, has issued a strong call for a complete overhaul of Ghana’s mineral policy, urging the government to ensure local communities benefit directly from the country’s gold resources.
Speaking on the current mineral law under review, he challenged policymakers to seize the opportunity to “reset Ghana” by transforming mining host communities from zones of deprivation to zones of equity and pride.
“If the president is saying that Ghana must be reset, then where minerals are also derived must undergo a resetting, and it can be done through this law. It will be a huge step towards resetting the communities”
Nana Kobina Nketsia V, Paramount Chief of the Essikado Traditional Area
Addressing the dire state of many mining communities, he recounted first-hand experiences in towns such as Bogoso and Odumase, where he witnessed conditions that starkly contradicted the wealth supposedly generated from their mineral deposits.
“People come here and they say that the Western region is the richest region,” he stated, questioning the common perception that his Region is among the richest in Ghana, insisting that the wealth touted is often invisible to those who reside there. Richest in what? Poverty?” he asked, further decrying the hollow narrative of regional wealth.
For him, the real issue is not just about discouraging illegal mining, but about giving people a genuine reason to stop. He pointed out the inadequacy of efforts to stop the menace, accusing them of failing to go beyond the rhetoric and providing viable employment alternatives for the people of mining communities.
He pointed out the structural gaps that continue to push local populations toward illegal mining, warning that without tangible alternatives or meaningful inclusion in the benefits of legal mining, future efforts to combat environmental destruction would fall flat. “These are the challenges,” he said plainly.
Transformative Change
Nana Nketsia emphasized that the ongoing reforms in mineral law present a unique opportunity for transformative change, especially under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Emmanuel Kofi-Armah Buah.
He described the moment as historic, highlighting the fact that the sector is currently being led by a native of the Western Region, someone he hopes can reverse the longstanding exploitation and neglect.
“We all want him to do well. It’s our prayer that he does so that we can say that ‘oh, during this man’s term in office, the country was truly reset, and the Western region realised and revealed its riches’”
Nana Kobina Nketsia V, Paramount Chief of the Essikado Traditional Area
He did not spare past and present mining firms from criticism, singling out the long-term presence of Goldfields in Obuasi in the Ashanti Region. Despite years of activity there, he observed, the town’s road infrastructure remained in deplorable condition. “It was unbelievable,” he said.
Nana Nketsia also expressed skepticism about simply prioritizing Ghanaian companies in mining operations, without deep scrutiny, warning that many of these entities could be “fronts for expatriates,” and foreign interests, in which case the current ills would prevail.
“Let us look at this thing that we are going to do and articulate a vision that starts from the locality and is not just taken away.” the Essikado Paramount Chief charged. For him, any genuine reset must begin at the grassroots, with mining communities themselves driving and benefiting from the change.
Untapped Potential
Highlighting Ghana’s untapped economic potential, he contrasted the country’s struggles with the dramatic economic transformation of Dubai, a nation he noted has succeeded with far less natural wealth.
“Dubai, only has sand yet anytime I go there and come back, I get depressed that other people have turned sand into gold, while we are here busy turning gold into sand. No way”
Nana Kobina Nketsia V, Paramount Chief of the Essikado Traditional Area
He praised the recent efforts by the Bank of Ghana to stabilize the cedi, citing the cedi’s rebound against the dollar as evidence of what purposeful leadership can achieve in a relatively short period of time.
The Minerals Commission, acting in presidential direction, now bears the responsibility to ensure that this new mineral law delivers genuine change for the regions most affected by mining.
With a “native son” at the helm of the sector ministry and a president preaching a national reset, the Paramount Chief believes the time is now to get it right. “Nothing will change unless we change these laws and the opportunity has been granted us by this government,” he concluded.
READ MORE: Power Sector Crisis Demands Transparency, Not Just Privatization – Energy Specialist
