Michael Boateng
2 July 2009
Sunyani — A lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, Kwame Gyan, has observed that refusal by Mining Companies to pay compensations on fallow lands was a contributing factor to the speculative activities.
Mr. Gyan made this observation, when presenting a paper on "Mining Law and Compensation" in Sunyani, at a day's workshop organised by Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) for selected journalists from Brong-Ahafo.
According to him, the problem would soon be dealt with, under the new law regime (Act 703), where mining companies are obliged to pay compensations on lands, including fallow ones for the deprivation of land use.
He expressed worry over how compensation had always been a problem between mining companies and affected persons, calling on the media to assist in curbing the situation by educating the communities on issues of compensation.
Mr. Kwame Gyan, noted that compensation was restitution, but not to enrich a person overnight, so there should be judicious use of compensations by affected persons for sustainable livelihood.
"Compensation is not to make someone better of, and not also to make a person worse of, so the media must assist in educating the public on it," he stressed.
Mr. Gyan disclosed that plans were underway to make way for both periodic and lump sum payments of compensations to benefit future generations whose lands are acquired for mining operations.
A former National President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Ms. Adjoa Yeboah-Afari, advised the media to desist from always reporting negatively about mining activities in Ghana.
Speaking on the topic "Improving Media Reportage on Mining," Ms. Yeboah-Afari blamed the negative media reportage on mining activities on ignorance relating to issues in the sector, but not out of malice.
According to the former Editor of the Ghanaians Times, sometimes journalists fuel the conflicts, because the reporter does not get enough time to first educate and understand the issue.
She noted that some negative reports about mining activities in some areas had resulted in conflicts and tensions in mining communities, due to many misconceptions about mining and mining companies.
Ms. Yeboah-Afari urged the media to sometimes project some of the positives about mining in the country, instead of concentrating much on the negatives like communities complaining about environmental degradation, or water pollution by mining companies, or communities resisting mining companies.
On his part a Legal Officer of the Minerals Commission, Charles Afeku, stated that the commission was in the last stages of drafting regulations that would ensure more effective regulations in the sector, to make mining more beneficial to the people of Ghana.
He said when journalists are well informed about mining issues, they would be in a better position to inform and educate communities, and monitor activities of stakeholders in the sector.
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