The Council Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), through its agency, the Crops Research Institute (CRI), has struck a sponsorship with a Non-Governmental Organization to undertake rejuvenation of degraded mining sites in the country.
The partnership deal with Partners of Nature Africa (PONA) is a collaborative agreement that would see the two institutions pulling human, material and logistic resources together to reclaim lands and also create alternative means of livelihood in catchment communities with the introduction of economic crops, animal husbandry, among others.
Speaking at the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding in Accra, Professor Moses Mochiah, Director of CSIR, noted that illegal mining (Galamsey) has destroyed several lands in the country, rendering them useless for vegetation or any plantation.
“In some areas, illegal miners have polluted the soil with chemical that have affected the land’s productivity. It is therefore important to adopt measures to rejuvenate the land to make it useful for the communities,” Prof. Monchiah stated.
He disclosed that the partnership brokered through the efforts of the Head of Crops Research Institute (CRI), Pokuase, Mr. James Konadu Boafo, would ensure that scientific measures are adopted in the rejuvenation exercise the two organization would be undertaking, expressing the hope that the partnership would go a long way in bringing hope to mining communities.
He appealed to government and other institutions to support the initiative for better results.
For his part, Director of Operations of PONA, Mr. Forster Amofah, said the choice of CSIR as partners in their reclamation efforts was based on their track records in the development of the right crops and scientific approach to soil treatment, among others.
“Their expertise is very much needed in our rejuvenation exercise and we deemed them as the best partners to ensure we achieve greater success in our rejuvenation activities,” Mr. Amofah said.
He revealed that PONA has over the years carried out rejuvenation exercises in almost all the mining communities in Ghana.
He commended Fifth Hour Group of Companies, for playing a tremendous role in PONA’s work, as well as other institutions in the mining sector.
He also appealed for support from companies, individuals and especially government for their activities.
Professor Moses Mochiah signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of CSIR, while Mr. Forster Amofah appended his signature for PONA, sealing the partnership deal.
