Most Rev. Gabriel A.A. Mante
The Bishop of Jasikan has urged the people of Oti and Volta regions in whose areas commercial quantities of iron ore, gold and lithium have been discovered to resist any attempt at exploiting the natural resources by companies who have entered into agreements with government.
The Most Rev. Gabriel A.A. Mante, Bishop of the Jasikan Diocese, in a statement he authored, pointed out that considering the fallouts from the exploitation of natural resources in other parts of the country, he and the clergy and lay faithful of the Diocese of Jasikan would rather there is no activity on the minerals which as he put it predate independence of the country.
“We, the Bishop, the Clergy and the Lay Faithful of the Catholic Diocese of Jasikan and the people living in these areas received this news with great trepidation. Our trepidation even deepened when it was announced that the mining of these resources will begin in 2023,” the Bishop said.
Continuing, he said that “we call upon all government officials within these two regions to re-examine whatever agreement they must have reached with companies which have been entered into or contracted to mine those resources namely iron ore, gold and lithium.”
In connection with the foregone, the Bishop asked whether the mining activities will favour the people in the mining areas.
To the people of Oti and Volta regions, the Bishop said “we would like to remind of these two regions that they have inalienable right to life and for that reality anything which has the potential to threaten their life must be resisted. In this regard, we urge them to deny the mining of the resources in the two regions.”
When DAILY GUIDE reached out to the Oti Regional Minister on the subject, he declined an interaction.
By A.R. Gomda