By Eugene Davis
The Member of Parliament for Amenfi Central Constituency, Hon. Joana Gyan Cudjoe, has urged gold dealers and small-scale miners in the area to unite under a formal association to better advance their collective interests and contribute significantly to local development.
According to Hon. Gyan Cudjoe, the formation of such an association is urgent and necessary. She underscored that a unified group could establish a dedicated fund to finance infrastructure and social projects across the constituency.
Speaking at a stakeholder consultative meeting with actors in the mining sector within the Wassa Amenfi Central District, she stated:
“Gold dealers gathered here today, we must collaborate with small-scale miners to form the Amenfi Central Small-Scale Miners Association as soon as possible. This will make us stronger and more unified. Through the association, we can raise funds to fix our own roads and show the government our commitment to development.”
She noted that this united front could help facilitate road rehabilitation, school construction, and healthcare delivery in the area.
The meeting, held on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at Jabistep Hotel in Agona Amenfi, was organized in partnership with the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Wassa Amenfi Central, Hon. Peter Amponsah. It brought together a wide range of industry stakeholders, including small-scale miners, gold buyers, excavator operators, “one-leg” machine operators, “chanfang” operators, and “dig and wash” miners. Prominent political figures in attendance included Mr. Joseph Yamin, National Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and Mr. Mustapha Gbande, Deputy National Secretary of the NDC and Director of Operations at the Presidency.
During the event, Hon. Gyan Cudjoe also expressed serious concern over the harassment of local miners by security personnel from other districts, describing such interventions as counterproductive and harmful to local businesses.
Beyond the call for unity, she made a strong appeal to the government to address critical infrastructure deficits in Amenfi Central. She called for the construction of a district hospital, improvement of road networks, reliable water supply systems, and enhanced educational facilities, citing them as urgent priorities for the well-being of residents.
In his opening remarks, DCE Peter Amponsah noted that the forum, initiated by the MP, aimed to unify all mining operators and promote sustainable and responsible mining practices in line with national regulations.
Mr. Mustapha Gbande lauded Hon. Gyan Cudjoe for her leadership and vision in organizing the forum. He reiterated the NDC’s commitment—under a future Mahama administration—to protect water bodies, farmlands, and forests, while ensuring that miners operate within legal and environmentally sound frameworks. He criticized the previous government for issuing over 2,000 mining leases, many to foreign nationals, under the guise of promoting community mining, which he said resulted in widespread environmental degradation.
Gbande assured participants that the NDC is not against mining but seeks to regulate it responsibly. He encouraged miners to obtain proper licenses and emphasized the importance of land reclamation.
Also addressing the gathering, Mr. Joseph Yamin condemned the use of mercury and heavy machinery in small-scale mining and called for the establishment of a district-level task force to monitor mining operations. He reaffirmed the government’s willingness to assist miners in acquiring the required permits and licenses, noting that gold remains a cornerstone of Ghana’s economic stability, making responsible mining all the more essential.
