A group called the Concerned Youth of Bibiani Small Scale Miners Association (CYOBSSMA) has called on the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to prevent all foreigners engaged in community mining from doing so.
The group contends that community mining, which is meant to be the preserve of indigenes only, is being taken over by foreign mining companies to the detriment of residents who are unable to acquire mining permits.
Barnabas Ananga, a spokesperson for the group, appealed to all relevant stakeholders to intervene and protect the source of livelihood of many residents in the Western North Region.
“Why should we live in a country that is blessed with mineral resources that foreigners will come in and take out whereas we are being forced to engage in other things…How is that possible? Our parents taught us how to mine, we are craftsmen. We cannot allow these foreigners to take over our resources and put up a few structures for us. The ball is now in their court to tell us something reasonable, why we should stop, why we should go home hungry.”