Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor has noted that the Lands and Natural Resource Ministry will need the support of the Chiefs to manage the natural resources in the country.
Speaking at the National House of Chiefs in a meeting with the Chiefs in Kumasi on Thursday, May 20, 2021, the Minister said it is just not possible to have effective and intelligent management of the lands and natural resources of the country without the involvement of the Chiefs.
In an interview with Richard Mensah, Hon. John Abu Jinapor said “Any policymaker who put together a policy and does not factor the Chiefs in the management of lands and natural resources will fail. The lands are vested in the Chiefs before our colonial masters came into our country, the forest reserves and the minerals according to the constitution architecture we have, in terms of the management of natural resources, the chiefs plays an important role”.
The Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Lawyer Ebenezer Kojo Kum who was also present in the meeting raised discussion on the Chieftaincy disputes and conflicts across the country.
Lawyer Kojo Kum said that he’s confident that with the support of Nananom, all Chieftaincy disputes will be resolved in his time as a minister. “I know and I am very confident, looking at the enthusiasm of Nananom, we can curb the galamsey menace that has been a canker in our country,” he said.
President of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi in his speech pledged the support of Nananom in helping the government to succeed in the fight against illegal mining in the various communities of Ghana.
“The vision of the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is to sanitize the mining sector and to ensure responsible mining through the use of small and large scale mining activities. This needs our support so Nananom are required to support His Excellency the president to succeed” he said.
Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi urged the members of the National House of Chiefs to support the fight against galamsey which is destroying the lands and rivers of the country.
