A LECTURER at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, Dr Kumi Ansah-Koi, has warned that Ghana can be plunged into civil conflict if disagreements over the exploitation of natural resources are not managed carefully.
He observed that African countries like Sierra Leone, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo were plunged into civil conflicts due to such disagreements, pointing out that with its abundant natural resources, Ghana could suffer similar fate if contentions over such resources were not managed properly.
Dr Ansah-Koi gave the warning in a presentation on natural resource-based conflicts in Ghana at a consultative seminar for key actors in the mining sector organised by the National Peace Council (NPC) at the weekend at Busua in the Western Region.
The seminar, which was sponsored by the UNDP, was a follow-up to previous engagements with mining communities and mining companies as part of an initiative by the NPC to resolve issues leading to conflicts between the two parties and smoothen their relationship.
The forum was attended by the Ameer and Missionary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana, Maulvi Wahab Adam, who is also the acting Chairman of the NPC, the Omanhene of Techiman Traditional Area, Osagyefo Akumfi-Ameyaw, a representative of the Chief Imam, Sheikh Mahmoud Gadel, the Catholic Archbishop of Ho, the Most Reverend Francis Lodonu and a lecturer at the Linguistic Department of the University of Ghana, Professor Kofi Agyekum, all members of the NPC.
The participants included representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Minerals Commission, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Navy, Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), Ghana Chamber of Mines, the media, civil society and mining communities.
Dr Ansah-Koi said considering how the country had managed recent conflicts between mining companies and their host communities, Ghana could have a bigger problem to deal with in respect of its oil exploration.
He, therefore, urged the police, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to do more towards addressing natural resource-based conflicts.
Dr Ansah-Koi mentioned some of the root causes of conflicts as land use, land control, royalties, access to land, regulatory and legislative frameworks and lack of capacity to know profit margins of mining companies.
In another presentation on the government’s policies on natural resource exploitation and their security implications, a former Chief Director of the Ministry of the Interior, Mr Edwin Barnes, identified some challenges in policy implementation that could lead to conflicts as inadequate consultation and inadequate knowledge of critical issues.
He stressed the need for communities to be sensitised to the issues to enable them to make informed decision, adding, “Our ability as agencies to get people informed will go a long way to address conflicts.”
The Western Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Alhaji Hamidu, said conflicts existed everywhere, including the home, but the main challenge had been the ability to manage them such that they did not degenerate into violence.
He commended the NPC for the positive role it was playing to foster peace in the country, saying, “If Ghana is called an oasis of peace today, it is because we have the NPC.”
On allegations that the police normally took sides with mining companies against their host communities during conflicts, DCOP Hamidu said much as the communities had the right to demonstrate, “it will be irresponsible for the police to stand and watch infrastructure being destroyed.”
The Executive Director of WACAM, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that champions the cause of communities affected by mining, Mr Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, said land was like oxygen to many farming communities and so once the land was taken away from them, they were deprived of life itself.
He said it was inappropriate to allow mining in forest reserves and urged the government to prohibit mining in such reserves.
Mr Owusu-Koranteng said there were many intangible things that mining companies could not compensate the people for, adding that if water bodies, which embodied the spirit of the people, were destroyed for mining purposes, no compensation would be justifiable.
Another official of WACAM, Mrs Hannah Owusu-Koranteng, said the social and environmental cost of mining far outweighed the investment made by mining companies and so “if you want to quantify the real cost of mining, we are losing.”
An official of AngloGold Ashanti, Mr James Appiah, said the mining companies paid huge sums of money as compensation to farmers but because they did not have entrepreneurial skills, they misapply the money and began agitation afterwards.
He, therefore, stressed the need for the government to help such community members buy shares in the companies in order to give them sustainable income.
Maulvi Adam, who chaired the seminar, said it was important to tackle conflicts head-on because they undermined development.
Osagyefo Akumfi-Ameyaw urged chiefs of mining communities to pursue the larger interest of their communities instead of their personal interest.
The Research Officer of the NPC, Mr Emmanuel Sowatey, expressed concern about the alleged use of arms by Chinese citizens involved in small-scale mining in the country.
He emphasised the need for owners of guns to register their weapons, while urging those who had registered their weapons to endeavour to renew their licenses.
He said given the frankness with which the participants discussed issues, the seminar could not have been more successful, adding that the NPC would seek to build on the positive gains made towards finding a lasting solution to the conflict between mining communities and their hosts.
The participants stressed the need for a national forum on mining to discuss pertinent challenges in the industry to enable the nation to derive maximum benefit from it.
They observed that the mining sector had been fraught with many challenges, such as conflicts between mining companies and their hosts, environmental degradation, illegal mining and legislation shortfalls, stressing that an urgent national forum was required to address those challenges.
The participants observed that there was the need for even the regulatory bodies, police and judges to be sensitised to the critical legal and social issues to enable them to discharge their responsibilities effectively.
They said as corporate citizens, mining companies should respect the values, culture and laws of their host communities.
They stressed the need for tolerance among mining companies and the communities, while urging the mining companies to protect the environment by reclaiming the land after their operations and also acting swiftly to address accidents like cyanide spillage.
The participants urged chiefs and communities to frown on illegal mining, since it was destructive to the environment.
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