Gbarpolu – Dominance of foreign nationals in the mining sector in Gbarpolu County is raising concern among locals.
Report by Willie N. Tokpah [email protected]
This situation, according to the Statutory Superintendent for Development of the County, Edwin Korpolu, is creating poor economic growth for citizens, who are now finding it difficult to compete in the local mining sector.
Instead of getting involved with artisanal mining, Korpolu said some Ghanaians are using a dredging machine on the Tuma River to mine the county’s resources.
This, he believes, does not augur well for the locals and is at the same time creating dissatisfaction among local officials.
“This should not be so. We can’t have our people doing artisanal mining and foreigners coming to our county to take away bulk of our resources in an illegal manner.
“This should be a concern of government and those Ghanaians involved must be restricted not to mine with dredge,” the county’s Supt said.
He noted that it was unfortunate for male Ghanaians involved with the dredging to use Liberian women as cover-up to own mining camps along the river.
As a result, Korpolu said the county is losing more, than gaining from mining activities taking place there.
According to him, it would be important for higher officials of Gbarpolu to provide dredge for citizens involved with mining, than allowing Ghanaians benefit more from the county’s resources.
He also stated that locals in the county have not agreed to allow foreign nationals operate with dredge in the Tuma River.
According to the Superintendent, local officials are only aware of these foreigners’ operations to do artisanal mining and not with a dredge machine as they are now engaged in.
“If these people continue to mine with dredge; I am afraid that it will be a lost to the county, because they will only extract enough of our mineral without doing any development,” Superintendent Korpolu warned.
“There is no development and we are faced with challenge of healthcare, road and other social developments. Ghanaians are not to use dredge along Tuma for mining gold and diamond.”
In another development, Superintendent Korpolu has expressed disappointment over poor health delivery system in Gbarpolu County.
The local official said the only medical center in the headquarters of Gou and Bokomu administrative districts lack medication.
“There is no medication in Mowaquelle. This situation is causing problem for effective health delivery in Gou and Bokomu districts,” Korpolu asserted.
Superintendent Korpolu warned that if the situation is not addressed urgently, it might lead to some worst thing in the county.
Superintendent Korpolu is urging the Ministry of Mines and Energy’s intervention into the situation.
Recently, the Assistant Minister for Mines, Emmanuel T. Swen, told FrontPageAfrica that government is working on mechanism to address various situations being faced at the mining sector.
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