The Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor has assured that the Ministry is considering the overhauling of the entire health and safety regime of the mining industry.
The Minister said the action is necessary to avert incidents such as the recent explosion at Appiatse and other related incidents in the mining industry.
Speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, Samuel Abu Jinapor noted that the Ministry deems it fit to holistically look at the Health and Safety arrangement of the mining industry due to health and safety issues recorded within the industry in recent years.
To this end on February 7, the Ministry inaugurated a five-member Ministerial Committee of Inquiry.
“This offers us an opportunity to look at the Health and Safety regime of the mining industry and I took the view that an assignment like that ought not to be done by people who do not have the technical know-how,” he said.
According to him, the Committee has been given a month to provide recommendations to the Ministry for the necessary action to be taken.
Samuel Abu Jinapor expressed his confidence in the Committee to deliver on their mandate.
The Committee is chaired by a Minerals Engineer and Vice-Chancellor of the Paa Grant University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa (UmaT), Prof. Richard Amankwah. Members include; Mr. Benjamin Aryee, a former Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Mr. Kwesi Enyan, a former inspector of mines and former Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti.
Others are; Ms. Effie Oppong-Fosu, an Associate of Menka-Premo and Co. Law Firm and a representative from the Ghana Bar Association, and Prof. Grace Ofori-Sarpong, a professor of minerals engineering, representing the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Meanwhile, the government has also inaugurated a Seven-member Committee to spearhead the reconstruction of the Appiatse community.
Deputy Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Benito Owusu-Bio is the Chairperson of the Committee which has members from various private and public sector institutions.
