A Professor of Environmental and Sustainability Science, Prof. Federick Ato Armah, has identified mistrust among stakeholders in the mining industry as contributing to the scourge of illegal artisanal and small- scale mining in the country.

Prof. Armah, who is currently the Director of the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Consultancy (DRIC), University of Cape Coast (UCC), noted there was a trust deficit as regards Ghanaian mining processes which had emboldened stakeholders in the mining sector to disregard the processes and roles in mining. As a means to sanitize the sector, Prof. Armah called for an immediate resolution of this problem.

“Outline the processes we need to take so that every stakeholder is aware of the processes and their roles and responsibility in ensuring that everybody follows through with what we want to do as a nation,” said Prof. Armah.

While delivering his inaugural lecture on the topic: “Restoring Kinship with the Environment: How to Address the Wicked Problem of Illegal Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining”, he disclosed that multi agendas reflect in Ghana’s artisanal and small scale mining.

He opined: “Mining has a wide range of stakeholders with conflicting agendas. The agenda of the regulator is different from the agenda of the business or private person. The agenda of the miner is different from the agenda of the owner of the mine. The agenda of the chiefs is also different.”

A section of members of the College of Professors at the lecture

A section of members of the College of Professors at the lecture

According to the Professor of Environmental and Sustainability Science, this growing mistrust among stakeholders within the mining sector begs immediate resolution.

“If there is mistrust among stakeholders, they cannot work together. The stake holder platform will collapse. So we need to engender that collaboration and then make sure that there is mutual trust among the cadre of stakeholders” he said.

He called for the maintenance of stakeholder commitment which was contingent on “whether stakeholders are satisfied with the processes and the mechanism that have been put in place in the short, medium and long terms.”

In order to restore kinship with the environment, Prof. Armah called on academia to develop 21st century curricula to train students with critical minds to tackle Ghana’s socio- environmental problems analytically and head on.

Prof. Armah being admitted into the College of Professors

Prof. Armah being admitted into the College of Professors

Prof. Armah added that without a clearly defined strategy, Ghana’s relentless fight against the ‘wicked problem of illegal artisanal and small –scale mining’ would fail woefully as seen over the years.

He said activities of illegal artisanal and small- scale mining were a threat to quality water production in the country due to the increasing level of water turbidity at illegal exploration sites.

Accordingly, he charged government to re-examine the way to address the menace of illegal artisanal and small- scale mining and its environmental and health effects to avoid the wrath of posterity.

The inaugural lecture which was chaired by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, was the third in the series of inaugural lectures commemorating the 60th anniversary celebration of the University.

Also present were the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Rosemond Boohene; Registrar, Mr. Jeff Teye Emmanuel Onyame; past Vice-Chancellor, Prof. D. D. Kuupole and past Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. George K. T. Oduro.

Others included the College of Professors and other key members of the University.

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC