Former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Inusah Abdulai Bistav Fuseini, wants that ministry scrapped because it has not lived up to the expectations. Mr. Fuseini said “there is no need to create the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resource but rather, give the assemblies the power to protect their jurisdictional area”.

The Tamale Central Member of Parliament was sharing his thoughts on Onua FM’s Yen Nsempa that was discussing the need to legalize and regularize illegal mining. He told the host, Bright Asempa, that “if they [assemblies] failed to protect their lands, it means they have failed in their core mandates”.

Mr. Innusah said “the assemblies have a role to play” in ensuring that illegal mining, commonly known as ‘galamsey’ is curtailed in their communities.

Blame chief

The former minister noted that “no one can enter into a land without the permission of the chiefs so if they [illegal miners] are operating at a place, we should ask the chiefs”. He said “the chiefs are to protect the lands on behalf of the people but the chiefs are sitting and illegal miners, who are mostly Chinese, are taking over the place”.

“They [chiefs] are there when people use mercury to pollute the environment. Whoever is doing illegal mining is stealing our natural resources because they are here to steal the gold away to China so we should use the law to ensure that the mining sites are clean”.

Mining benefits

Mr. Fuseini noted that the benefits of mining are minimal so the chiefs must rise up and fight against it. “The mining sector destroys and creates insecurity. They destroy forest and water bodies in a hazardous ways and this cannot help the nation”, he noted.