PUNITIVE MINING LAWS

The Minerals Commission is pursuing an amendment of the Minerals and Mining Law to increase the punishment for illegal local and foreign mining individuals, as part of measures to deter selfish people from exploiting the mineral resources of the country, at the expense on human and national development. 

The proposed amendment of the law which is currently in Parliament, if approved, will increase the punishment against illegal miners from the present one thousand 500 Ghana Cedis to six thousand Ghana Cedis in fine or a minimum jail term of three years. Convicted foreign illegal miners will be fined 17 penalty Units which translates into huge monetary value.

 The Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Dr. Tony Aubynn disclosed this to some newsmen during an inspection tour of mining sites in the Amansie West district of Ashanti by members of the Board of Directors of the Commission. The Minerals Commission’s CEO disclosed also that the proposed amendment to the Minerals and Mining Act aims also to empower the Magistrate Court to adjudicate illegal mining cases, instead of concentrating all the powers on the High Court, so as to help speed up the trial of such criminal cases. 

Additionally, all the machinery and equipment used in illegal mining activities will be confiscated to the state. Touching on the current state of illegal mining in the country, Dr. Aubynn praised the Presidential Task Force on Galamsey for the success achieved in their work to flush out illegal miners from the systems, saying that the strategy has significantly reduced the menace.

 He said the next phase of the national plan is that the Commission will intensify public awareness on the economic, social and environmental dangers, as well as human security issues involved in galamsey so as to discourage people from engaging in it. The Commission, led by its Chairman, Emmanuel Kofi Kaningen, toured the sites of a new mining company, AsankoGold, which is still setting up its processing plants to begin actual gold mining operations in three areas. 

These are the Abore, Obotan and Adansi pits. They also visited the sites of two licensed small scale mining companies owned by Ghanaians and employing many other local people. At the Asanko Gold Mines, the Board Chairman, Mr. Kaningen expressed satisfaction with the environmental management as well as community development policies. 

At the small scale mining sites, the members were all satisfied with the environmental protection plans, especially the covering of the mining pits and encouraged the miners to keep it up in the interest of the current and unborn generations.

MTTD CAPACITY BUILDING

A capacity building workshop has been organized in Kumasi for personnel of Motor Traffic and Transport Department under the Ashanti Regional Police Command. It was organized by the Regional Police Command in collaboration with the National Road Safety Commission to sensitize personnel of the department on the need to strictly adhere to their job description and uphold integrity in the performance of their duties. 

Addressing the participants, the Deputy Ashanti Regional Police Commander, ACP Ampofo Duku said the Regional Police Command has received a lot of concerns from the public, particularly road users on some infractions that MTTD personnel engage in, while discharging their duties.

 The infractions include, the removal of road worthy stickers from cars, which according to ACP Duku, is unlawful and a disgrace to the Department and the Police Administration as a whole. He admonished personnel of the MTTD to be mindful of their responsibilities in the area of checking faulty vehicles and unlicensed drivers plying the roads to help in the reduction of road crashes. 

The Outgoing Ashanti Regional Manager of the National Road Safety Commission, Thomas Bismark Boakye indicated that road crashes in the region considerably reduced during his tenure as compared to the previous years.

 He said road safety committees have been formed in some accident-prone areas in the region including Offinso, Obuasi and Konongo. To further reduce road crashes, Mr. Boakye said the National Road Safety Commission is in talks with the Police Service to roll out a quarterly training programme annually on road safety practices and strategies for MTTD personnel and road users.

LEGON DISTANCE LEARNING

         The University of Ghana has acquired a 37-point-five million Dollar funding under an Information and Communication Technology Project for its distance education programme. The Project which is being financed with a Chinese Government loan procured by the Government of Ghana on behalf of the University, has deployed an integrated Digital Mobile Learning platform for the University’s Distance Learning Programme. 

The Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University in charge of Academic and Student Affairs,  Professor  Kwame Offei announced this at a ceremony to matriculate fresh students to the Kumasi Learning Centre to pursue Bachelors Degree in Administration, Nursing, ICT, Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Political Science, Sociology and Information Studies. According to the Pro Vice-Chancellor, ICT is very crucial in the successful running of Distance Education. 

It is for his reason that the university’s Learning Centres in Accra, Koforidua, Sunyani, Takoradi, Tsito, Tamale and Wa have been equipped with modern facilities, with each centre being provided with ultra-modern computer laboratories, smart classrooms, video conference facility and back- up generators under the Chinese Loan facility. In addition, three thousand internet-enabled android tablets have been acquired, pre-loaded with relevant teaching and learning materials and distributed to newly admitted students. 

Prof. Offei said the Distance Education Programme has therefore started a process of moving away from paper-based teaching materials to the electronic-learning platform, which has enhanced teaching and learning. He therefore entreated the students to take good care of the new facilities by using especially the tablets to enhance their studies. 

As part of plans to upgrade the regional learning centres to fully-fledged campuses, the University of Ghana has started the rehabilitation and refurbishment of the centers, of which work has already begun at the Kumasi, Koforidua and Takoradi Learning Centers. Same shall be extended to other centers shortly. On behalf of the fresh students, Gabriel Ofori Adjei appealed to management to extend library facilities to the learning centers to enhance research. School fees should also be accepted through payment by installment.

CHIEFTAINCY DISPUTES

      Judicial Committees of the Traditional, Regional and National Houses of Chiefs have been urged to expedite actions on cases pending before them, as early resolution of such disputes will help prevent social upheavals. 

 The President of the National House of Chiefs, Naa Professor John Nabila who said this at the first Meeting of the House for this year in Kumasi, said now that all the Regional Houses of Chiefs excluding the Central Region have been provided with counsels, delays in resolving such disputes would not be countenanced.

 He said for the short period last year that a counsel was appointed for the Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs, the House at the close of the year managed to dispose off three pending cases. Naa Prof. Nabila noted with concern that unnecessary delays at the Judicial committees contribute to chieftaincy conflicts that could have been avoided, saying the country needs development and this could only be achieved when there is absolute peace in the communities.

 The President told members of the House that Parliament could not pass the Chieftaincy Amendment Bill as requested by the Supreme Court Ruling, because concerns were raised on certain aspects of the bill during a debate over it in the House during the second reading. Consequently, the bill was withdrawn and referred to the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs, the National House of Chiefs and Attorney General’s Office for further consideration. 

Prof. Nabila said the amended draft legislative instrument 2207 to give way for the admission of Queenmothers to the National House of Chiefs has been effected and consequently submitted to the Attorney General’s Office. 

The Minister of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs, Dr. Henry Seidu Danaa said the Complainant in the Fihankra Stool and Skin affair has withdrawn the case from court, giving way for the National House of Chiefs to resolve the issue amicably.

EFFIDUASE METHODIST SYNOD

Government has been urged to take concrete steps to address problems affecting the country. Some of the critical concerns of Ghanaians include the erratic power supply leading to the collapse of many businesses, youth unemployment, health issues, poverty, and depreciation of the Cedi against the major currencies, which have brought untold hardship to Ghanaians. 

 The Out-going Bishop of the Effiduase Diocese of the Methodist Church, Ghana, Right Reverend Moses Quayson made the appeal at the 18^th Annual Synod of the church at Effiduase in the Sekyere East district of Ashanti. The synod under the theme, “Witnessing to Christ- Holistic Spirituality With Development”, brought together delegates from the 19 circuits that form the diocese.  Rt. Rev. Quayson said it is time the nation adopts pragmatic measures that will better the lives of the citizenry. 

He noted that after the arrival and establishment of the early church missions, they did not only promote Christianity and western education as most textbooks and some scholars maintain, but also engaged in agriculture, trade, linguistic studies, architecture and improved standards of living among the indigenes. Rt. Rev. Quayson therefore implored the Methodist Church to continue to provide social amenities such as schools, hospitals, potable water and introduce programmes that will serve as support to members.

 He expressed worry about wanton destruction of the environment by mankind, leading to climate change. He said in Ghana for instance, people continue to build in water ways causing floods whenever it rains, leading to loss of lives and properties. The new Bishop of the Effiduase Diocese, Rt. Rev. Osborne Eshun said the diocese in the coming years would embark on some economic ventures such as commercial farming to augment its traditional sources of income