• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Photo Gallery
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Citi TV
Tuesday, October 3, 2023
Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Showbiz
  • Opinion
  • Infographics
  • Listen To CitiFM
  • Videos
No Result
View All Result
Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Showbiz
  • Opinion
  • Infographics
  • Listen To CitiFM
  • Videos
No Result
View All Result
Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana
No Result
View All Result

Wacam, Fund for Global Human Rights equip mining communities in Ahafo Region

byMichael Sarpong Mfum
May 28, 2023
Reading Time: 3 mins read
ShareShareShareShare

Wacam, in collaboration with The Fund for Global Human Rights (TFGHR), has equipped representatives of mining companies in the Ahafo Region with paralegal knowledge to guide and empower them in their dealings with Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL).

About 50 participants drawn from five communities—Yamfo, Adrobaa, Techire, Susuanso, and Afrisipakrom in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region were taken through the fundamental human rights and legal frameworks on the mining sector in the country, including a presentation on the review of the Minerals and Mining Act, Act 703, as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.

Addressing the participants at a workshop in Sunyani on Thursday, May 18, 2023, the Technical Director of Wacam, a human rights and environmental mining and advocacy non-governmental organization (NGO), Mr. Kwaku Afari, said a paralegal is someone who is equipped with basic knowledge and skills in law to provide legal and other assistance to communities.

He continued that such a person must have as a tool some important provisions of the 1992 Constitution, including Chapter 5 on Fundamental Human Rights.

While emphasizing that paralegals are not lawyers, Mr. Afari, who is a lawyer, said paralegals are expected to provide basic legal advice to the communities in which they live.

“Paralegals are to carry out public education programs focusing on the law and the basic rights of their communities: by explaining basic legal materials to their community members, and organizing workshops to train community members on their rights,” he clarified.

On tools for paralegal work, he said they include the national constitution, statutes involving laws passed by Parliament such as the Minerals and Mining Act 2006, Act 703, international conventions and treaties on human rights, among others.

Taking the participants through what fundamental human rights entail, Mr. Afari explained that human rights are basic standards without which people cannot live a respectable life, stating that they are inherent in human beings.

Some of these rights, he said, are categorized into civil and political rights, which include the right to work, the right to property, liberty and security of person; economic, social, and cultural rights, etc.

He also touched on some of the human rights violations in mining communities. He said these included destruction of houses without payment of compensation, destruction of farms and farmlands, pollution of water bodies, and health-related issues.

However, Mr. Afari pointed out that such rights could be curtailed in emergency situations, citing COVID-19 in the country to buttress his case.

In a presentation on a Review of the Minerals and Mining Act, Act 703, the Associate Executive Director of Wacam, Mrs. Hannah Owusu-Koranteng, reiterated that it was crucial that the challenges in the Act were addressed.

She indicated that Section 4 of Act 703, which focuses on the minister having the power to reserve land for mining, should be properly defined.

According to her, Wacam believes that this section should clearly demarcate forest reserves and protected areas as land not being the subject of mineral right.

On section 13 (1) of Act 703, which allows the minister within 60 days to notify an applicant in writing from the Minerals Commission of the decision on an application, Mrs. Owusu-Koranteng said this notice should not only be given after the application has been approved, but more importantly after the license has been granted.

Speaking to the media, Ms. Hilda Vaadi, a participant from Yamfo, intimated that she had gained a lot of knowledge from the training.

“I will use this knowledge to help my father fight and protect his property in Yamfo,” she asserted.

Another participant, Ali Baba Mohammed, a farmer in Yamfo, said he will use the knowledge gained through the training to prevent Newmont from exploiting him.

“It will also help us guard and protect our water bodies, farms, and farmlands from being destroyed by mining companies,” he averred.

ShareTweetSendSend
Previous Post

Yendi: MASLOC donates learning materials to Complementary Education beneficiaries

Next Post

Rotary Club, 3 other NGOs launch sanitary pad bank in Obuasi

Related Posts

Top Stories

Limited voter registration exercise won’t be extended – EC

October 2, 2023
News

Fly Ghana flags at half-mast in honour of Theresa Kufuor – Akufo-Addo

October 2, 2023
Top Stories

Here are the routes for Minority’s #OccupyBoGProtest on Tuesday

October 2, 2023
News

Ho: 5 in critical condition after truck suffers brake failure

October 2, 2023
Top Stories

We’re adequately prepared for #OccupyBoGProtest – Police

October 2, 2023
News

12 SHSs to offer aviation and aerospace engineering courses – Adutwum

October 2, 2023
Next Post

Rotary Club, 3 other NGOs launch sanitary pad bank in Obuasi

TOP STORIES

Limited voter registration exercise won’t be extended – EC

October 2, 2023

Fly Ghana flags at half-mast in honour of Theresa Kufuor – Akufo-Addo

October 2, 2023

Here are the routes for Minority’s #OccupyBoGProtest on Tuesday

October 2, 2023
Load More
ADVERTISEMENT
Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana

CitiNewsroom.com is Ghana's leading news website that delivers high quality innovative, alternative news that challenges the status quo.

Archives

Download App

Download

Download

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Photo Gallery
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Citi TV

© 2023 All Rights Reserved Citi Newsroom.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Showbiz
  • Opinion
  • Infographics
  • Listen To CitiFM
  • Videos

© 2023 All Rights Reserved Citi Newsroom.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT