Browsing by Author "Kumi, Samuel"

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    Enhancing Mining Company-Community Relations: a Case Study of Ahafo Gold Mine
    (2008) Kumi, Samuel
    The increasing industrial surface mining operations in Ghana and he consequent impact on socio-economic and environmental variables have been the major concern to the mining communities and other stakeholders in Ghana’s mineral development over the last decade. This phenomenal change in the mining communities has served as recipe for conflict between the mining company and the community. Ahafo Gold mine project located in Brong Ahafo like any other mining project has suffered from the community concerns and resistance. Using mainly qualitative methodological approach, the thrust of the research, was to identify and explain adversarial variable that tend to strain the relationship between gold mining companies and their communities in Ahafo-Ghana, with the view to identify and develop appropriate strategies that are likely to enhance company-community relations. The analysis of the results indicated that generally the mine impacted positively on the local economy, but negatively affected the socio-environmental elements. The major sources of conflicts were economic expectations, deviance on socio-cultural principles and the environmental problem. Based upon the analysis, it is reasonable to assert that an enhanced mining company community relation requires strategies that will reduce communities’ expectations and concerns about the company’s operations, make the company change their attitudes and ensure effective or reconciliatory function in the company-community relations. And commit the three major actors in the mineral development to issues of company-community relation.
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    Land compensation and community expectation in mining context: A case study of Ahafo Gold Mine
    (2014-08-26) Kumi, Samuel
    The increasing industrial surface mining operations in Ghana and the consequent land takes have raised major issues regarding the nation’s compulsorily takings statutes in mining context. The seeming unfulfilled land compensation expectation in the mining communities has served as recipe for conflict between the mining companies and their host communities. Ahafo Gold mine project located in Brong Ahafo like any other mining project has suffered from such community concerns on compensation. Using mainly qualitative methodological approach, the thrust of the research, was to explore the legal provisions and principles in land acquisition and compensation system in mining context, in relation to community expectations in Ahafo – Ghana. This was executed with the view to identifying strategies that are likely to enhance the practices and principles in land taking and compensation for sustainable mining communities. The analysis of the results indicated that there exist limitations and gaps in the nation’s statutes on land compensation if benchmarked against other international standards. Other issues were lack of mutual understanding on scope and method of assets assessment as well as the incompetence of indigenous people in compensation negotiation. Generally the communities regarded their compensation expectations as normal based on perceived loss to the mine and quest for sustainability, while the company considered them as unrealistic and arbitrarily based. And the major sources of conflicts identified were unfulfilled compensation expectations, speculative developments and development constraints perceived imposed by the mining statutes. Based upon the analysis, it is reasonable to assert that is imperative to review and streamline the land compensation statutes and practices to facilitate sustainable mining. Also the situation requires strategies that will enhance assessment and negotiation of compensation as well as cause government to perform facilitative and reconciliatory role in the mining land taking process. And commit the three major actors in mining – the government, the community and mining company to land take management, and also implement payment of .a solatium or premium to compensate for the compulsory nature of the acquisitions.z