Mining iron ore will not benefit your people and the region – Catholic Bishop of Jasikan tells Chiefs
Mining iron ore will not benefit your people and the region - Catholic Bishop of Jasikan tells Chiefs
The Catholic Bishop of Jasikan, Most Rev Gabriel A. Mante has appealed to traditional leaders in Oti and Volta regions to resist any attempt by the government to mine iron, a recently discovered mineral resource in the Oti region.
He stated emphatically that mining iron ore discovered in the Oti region will not benefit the natives and the region as a whole.
The Catholic Bishop of Jasikan explained further by saying: “There is no guarantee that mining in the Oti Region will contribute to the economy of the local people. The aforementioned repercussions, the destruction of the environment, the health implications, and the worsening indigenous economy far outweigh the benefits that could be derived from mining the mineral resources.
Most Rev A. Mante’s appeal for the chiefs and indigenes of Oti to resist any attempt by the government to mine iron in the newly created region comes on the hills of a call made by the Oti Regional Minister, Mr. Joshua G. Makuba, for investors to acquire lands towards proposed mining of iron ore.
In a statement to address the issue, the Catholic Bishop of Jasikan explained that mining in and around mountainous areas is not the best and has dire consequences.
“For instance, if mining would be done on the Akpafu Todzi, Teteman, and other nearby mountainous areas, the constant disturbance of the mountains and vibrations caused by heavy equipment could lead to landslides.
“The result will be that a whole village such as Teteman or Akpafu Todzi, could slide off causing death, and harm to lives and properties. Communities living in the nearby valleys could also be buried by the same landslides. In the case of Bowiri communities, their ancestral home will be destroyed,” Most Rev. Bishop Mante pointed out.
“In considering all that has been said, we call upon the traditional leaders, both in the Oti and Volta Regions to take a determined and uncompromising stance against the mining of the mineral resources which have now been discovered and those yet to be discovered. We would like to remind them that their greatest responsibility from God and our ancestors is to protect the lives God has entrusted to them to lead.”
The Catholic Bishop of Jasikan further called upon all government officials within these two regions to re-examine whatever agreement they must have reached with companies that have been invited or contracted to mine these resources namely: the iron ore, the gold, and the lithium.
“First, are the repercussions of mining these mineral resources mentioned above favourable or not to our people? Second, will the mining of these mineral resources address the present and future needs of the people? We would like to remind the people of these two regions that they have an inalienable right to life and for that reason, any reality which has the potential to threaten this life must be resisted. In this regard we urge them to deny any necessary support for the mining of these mineral resources in our two regions,” Most Rev. Bishop Mante reiterated.
