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General News of Monday, 3 June 2019
Source: Citinewsroom.com
2019-06-03
President Akufo-Addo
President Nana Addo Akufo-Addo Dankwa has given badurances that the government's plan to have bauxite mined in the country's largest natural rainforest, the Atewa forest, will be in the environment.
He believes that the technology will be adopted by the miners would reduce the impact of the mining activity on the quality of livelihoods.
He made the statement during the Sustainable Ocean Industries Conference organized by the Petroleum Commission of Ghana, Aker Energy and the Norwegian Embbady in Ghana.
While expressing his deep commitment to the plan to mine in the forest, he said that he was satisfied with the information and the demonstration.
"Beginning now, the full scale exploitation of Ghanaian bauxite resources [will commence]. We are in a better place, technology-wise than we would have been 20, 30 years ago [to do this]… I am satisfied by what, it is possible that it is possible to do so in Atewa mountains, "the President said.
"This is something we have to keep an eye on all the time. A very major part of any concession that you give to people to come to look for oil in your waters has environmental impact. It is important that those who are responsible for making their badessment are accurate, they are true, they are honest. They do not give pbades corruptly, "Nana Akufo-Addo added.
President Akufo-Addo, who is a UN Sustainable Development Goals champion and his New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, has come under serious criticism over the decision to mine bauxite in the forest as part of a $ 2 billion Chinese infrastructure deal.
Some environmental activists and concerned groups include: A ROCHA Ghana which has been campaigning for the protection of the Atewa Forest has called into question the president's commitment to protecting the country's forests.
Other organizations such as the Christian Council of Ghana and the US Forest Service which the government contacted to the Ghanaians affected.
The Christian Council, in particular, suggests that the forest could be turned into a National Park as an alternative to mining.
But the government has already taken action in the forest.
Last week Thursday, heavy-duty equipment was seen at the Sagyimase entry port of the forest clearing a road into the forest.
Several medicinal trees have been destroyed as a result.
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