ABSTRACT

Hilson (2001) posited that illegal mining has been with us for many centuries. This is eminent as a historical trace of this phenomenon has been confirmed by various writers such as Allers, Ocansey, Yakubu and UNESCO. The rate at which this phenomenon is occurring has been increased despite its existence for centuries. In line with this, the Minerals Commission of Ghana (2013) indicated that 80% of small-scale miners within  the Upper Denkyira East District have not registered. Based on this fact, the study sought to find out factors that inhibit miners from registering their activities. In line with this, the study sought to achieve the following objectives:

1. To discover the political factors that inhibits illegal miners from registering with the Minerals Commission.
   1. To identify the economic factors that inhibits illegal miners from registering with the Minerals Commission.
   1. To find out the socio-cultural factors that inhibits illegal miners from registering with the Minerals Commission.
   1. To find out the extent to which non-participation in policy formulation could inhibit the illegal miners from registering with the Minerals Commission of Ghana.

To achieve these objectives, the study employed a qualitative case study research design. In furtherance to the methodology, the study employed purposive and convenient sampling procedures. Dunkwa-On-Offin and Kyekyewere communities were selected purposively. Also, two groups and thirty-two respondents were selected made of twenty-two miners, five owners (bosses), two officials from the Minerals Commission, an official each from the District Assembly, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Lands Commission. The study used focus group guide and interview schedules as instruments for data collection. Findings from the study revealed that the issue of bureaucracy, corrupt

government officials, corrupt security officials, huge amount of money needed, huge size of land required, availability of buyers, lack of environmental education and non- involvement in policy formulation were the major factors that are inhibiting them from registering their activities with the Minerals Commission. Based on the findings, the study recommends that various policy makers such as the Government of Ghana (GoG), Minerals Commission, Lands Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana Police Service and other stakeholders should amend registration processes and policies with regards to mining activities in Ghana.

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

            Background of the Study

It is a well-known fact that illegal mining is not a new phenomenon, in fact, it has been happening all over the world for many centuries (Hilson, 2001). The problem is that it is now occurring at a much faster rate, therefore, not leaving enough time for the land to replenish and regenerate itself. The greater demands placed on the land by an ever- increasing human population is putting a great strain and drain on the earth’s limited natural resources and the further degradation of the environment. From the global perspective, according to Human Rights Watch (2012), India’s mining sector is rife with illegality, some of it viscerally shocking and some of it relatively arcane. The most brazen criminality involves the extraction of minerals from a land that a mine operator has no legal right to work on, commonly referred to as “illegal mining.” In some cases, this takes place in deep hidden isolated forests, or centres around rapid fly-by-night operations with only a handful of machines and labourers working in a very small area.

According to the Shah Commission Report (2012), it is reported that India’s parliament convened a commission of inquiry into illegal mining headed by one retired Supreme Court Justice, M.B. Shah. Shah’s interim report, submitted in early 2012, found that there was enormous and large scale multi-state illegal mining of iron ore and manganese ore running into thousands of ore every year, having several exceedingly harmful and evil effects on the national economy, good governance, public functionaries, bureaucracy, public order, law and order. He revealed that it had encouraged huge corruption at  different levels in public life, mafia in society and money power. He advised that it ought to be stopped immediately and effectively. According to Mines Minister Dinsha Patel,

there were at least 82,000 cases of illegal mining in 2010 and another 47,000 between January and September 2011, some presumably involving multiple incidents linked to the same operations.

Again, driven by the world demand for gold, within past years there has been a rapid expansion of illegal gold mining activities in regions of eastern Indonesia such as North Sulawesi’s Minahasa Peninsula. The Manado based environmental group, Yayasan Bina Cipta AquaTech, has reported active mining in more than 100 illegal mines spread over five or six different sites within this region. The illegal mines or ‘‘trommels’’ (derived from the Dutch term for barrel) are crude mills that use mercury to remove gold from the host rock. Once the gold is extracted, the waste rocks or tailings, which include excess mercury, are placed into the large barrels (Kambey et. al, 2001). These barrels are disposed off by simply burying them along the side of the mining site typically within walking distance of the river. Mercury then enters the aquatic system during the gold extraction process or through the leaching of waste from the barrels. It is obvious that apart from the financial resources the nation is losing as a result of the activities of these illegal miners, the mercury levels in fish taken directly from the mining region for human consumption raises high concern due to the possibility of the nation’s loss of its human resource.

At the national front with respect to illegal mining, it has been observed by Ghanaians that some Chinese illegal miners have caused great havoc to the nation due to their illegal mining activities. It must be acknowledged, however, that these activities cannot be attributed to only Chinese but rather Ghanaians and other nationals as well. Interestingly, the laws of Ghana embrace small scale mining only on condition that the miners register with the Minerals Commission of Ghana. This is so primarily because of the hazardous

nature of their activities. Hence there are various agencies of the environment that regulate their activities in order that it would not have negative impacts on the environment. With respect to all the efforts that government and other stakeholders have made in the quest of reducing environmental degradation, there rather seems to be an increasing trend in activities that have to do with environmental degradation. This is more visible, especially in the area of indiscriminate mining, putting into consideration the negative effect these activities have on the community and national development and sustainable development at large.

According to the Minerals Commission (2013), a huge number of small-scale miners within the Upper Denkyira East District have not registered with the Commission, for which reason the environment still stays at risk of degradation and its inevitable consequences. Not only that, but the financial resources the nation is losing, and will continue to lose if the situation is not saved. The number of illegal miners in the district, according to the Minerals Commission, is estimated to be two thousand one hundred and twenty (2,120), representing illegal miners from fifty three (53) illegal sites which are made up of at least forty people each.

The factors that give rise to illegal mining by the miners not to register their activities with the Minerals Commission stands largely unknown but the researcher seeks to explore and speculate through personal observation.