No permit has been issued for mining at Mole National Park – Minerals Commission to CSOs

The Minerals Commission has dismissed claims by some Civil Society Organizations that it has granted permits to some companies for mining in around the Mole National Park.

In a release signed by the Acting-Chief Executive Officer of the Mineral Commission and copied to GhanaWeb, the commission stated that the allegations by the CSO has no merit as no permit has been granted to any company for mining at the mentioned site.

“It has come to the attention of the Minerals Commission that certain Civil Soceity Organizations (CSOs) have alleged that Mining Permits have been issued for mining in or near the Mole National Park in the Savannah Region. This allegation and/or assertion is not the case no such Mining Permit has been issued for this purpose.

“The Commission as the repository of records of all Mineral Rights in Ghana, entreats the General Public particularly CSOs, who are partners and have been working closely with the Commission over the years, to seek clarifications from it before going public”, he said.

Some CSOs including the Centre for Environmental Impact Analysis, Centre for Public Interest Law, and the Wassa Association appealed to government to revoke the licenses granted some companies to undertake mining activities near the Mole National Park.

Associate Executive Director of the Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining, Hannah Owusu-Koranteng is quoted to have said that “government has also granted mining exploration rights to a mining company to explore gold near the Mole National Park. The President has, among other things, stated that mining becomes a danger to society when the land is degraded after the minerals are extracted with toxic materials," she said as Ghana joins the World to mark Earth Day, which is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection.

She said "We, therefore, call on the government to halt attempts to mine forest reserves. Government should also place a moratorium on the granting of mining lease permits for all surface mining in Ghana."