Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh
Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, has begun a five-day tour of some mines in the Eastern Region.
The Minister started the tour on Monday July 29, 2019.
He is in the region with officials of the Lands Ministry, Minerals Commission and the Lands Commission.
The tour which is the first of its kind since he took over as Lands Minister, is to afford him the opportunity to assess mining operations in the region and to listen to concerns of indigenes of mining community.
On Monday, he toured reported illegal mining sites at Hemang, EXTRA Gold at Kwabeng as well as Long Life Mining Enterprise.
On Tuesday, he is expected to continue the tour, with visits to Newmont Golden Ridge at New Abirem, Akroma Gold Co. Limited at Esaase and depart to Mpraeso.
Also, the Minister is scheduled to visit Mansco Quarry at Nsawam, and meet with traditional leaders, DCEs and MCEs.
He has already visited the Okyenhene at his Palace at Kyebi at the beginning of the tour.
He is expected to conclude the tour on Saturday, after a short break from Wednesday to Friday.
At Long Life Mining Enterprise, it was discovered that 100 metres distance rule for mining away from a water body was not being complied with as the company was mining reportedly about 30 metres away from a river apparently used by community members for drinking and cooking.
The Minister was concerned about the development but officials of the company sought to put up a spirited defence of their operations.
It is unclear whether the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did not consider the closeness of the mine to the river before granting the concession.
BY Melvin Tarlue