Chiefs must be part of the licensing process of miners in their localities – Bawumia

Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia

Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has opened up about plans to involve chiefs in the licensing process of miners when he becomes president.

Addressing some Chiefs as part of his campaign activities in the Western Region, on Thursday, May 2, the Vice President argued that involving chiefs will help in addressing illegal mining.

Dr. Bawumia indicated that when he becomes president, he will oversee the amendment of the Mining Act to ensure Chiefs have a bigger say in the mining activities that goes on in their localities.

“We want to formalise the small-scaling business, but we cannot be successful without the involvement of the chiefs.

“The chiefs have to be part of the licensing of the miners in their localities, they have to be part of the whole process and so we will have to make the necessary amendments to the Mining Act to be able to do more of these, decentralize the Minerals Commission to be in the various districts, decentralize the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) so that they [miners] don’t go into the water bodies,” Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said.

The Vice President after visiting the Eastern and Central Region is expected to make stops at all the remaining regions as part of the first round of his nationwide campaign.

He is looking at convincing Ghanaians to elect him as president during the 2025 General Election.