Opinion leaders and residents of Manso-Tontokrom in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region have called on media organisations to exercise caution and ensure accuracy in reports associating the community with illegal mining activities.
The community leaders say such publications are damaging the area’s reputation and could hinder ongoing efforts to convince the government to formalise small-scale mining operations in the area.
Manso-Tontokrom, which has a sizeable youth population, continues to face high unemployment, a situation residents say has driven some young people into illegal small-scale mining.
Tensions between local miners and military personnel deployed to clamp down on illegal mining have also, in previous incidents, resulted in deaths and injuries.
Attempts by successive governments to regulate and formalise small-scale mining in the area have yet to yield results, leaving many young people dependent on mining for their livelihoods amid a shortage of alternative employment opportunities.
While acknowledging the importance of mining to the local economy and the livelihoods of unemployed youth, opinion leaders and residents have expressed concern over recent media reports linking the community to alleged mining-related offences. They insist that some of the incidents reported have no connection to Manso-Tontokrom.
At a press conference held in Manso-Tontokrom, opinion leaders and residents, some wearing red bands, expressed strong displeasure over what they described as misleading media reports portraying the community negatively.
They reaffirmed their commitment to engaging the government to secure the formalisation of small-scale mining activities in the area, insisting that proper regulation would promote responsible and sustainable mining practices.
An opinion leader and Abusuapanin of the community, Opanin Kofi Manu, who addressed the media on behalf of the traditional authorities, said mining had become the primary source of livelihood for many young people, including both indigenes and migrants from neighbouring communities.
He called on the government and relevant authorities to fast-track measures to bring young people involved in illegal mining into a regulated framework that would provide them with sustainable employment opportunities.
He explained that mining remained the primary source of income for many residents, warning that a blanket ban on the activity could deepen unemployment and expose some young people to crime and other social vices.
Opanin Kofi Manu further criticised media reports he said wrongly associated Manso-Tontokrom with illegal mining incidents involving individuals from other areas.
He appealed to journalists to exercise due diligence, verify their information and ensure accuracy before publishing reports on mining-related activities.
“The media is a partner in development and we have been relying on the media to send our messages across. The media should, however, be very circumspect and always provide accurate information and eschew falsehood in the discharge of their duties.
“Journalists should not also choose money over professionalism. When that happens, those journalists will not find things easy because you end up deceiving the public,” he said.
Youth leader Isaac Nyarko cited an attack on a team from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), alleging that subsequent media reports attempted to associate the incident with Manso-Tontokrom.
He warned that the reports could further weaken the community’s efforts to obtain government approval for the formalisation of small-scale mining activities.
The opinion leaders and residents also announced plans to petition the National Media Commission (NMC), urging it to investigate their concerns over media coverage of the community.
