Millions meant for development WASTED on social events
By Philip Antoh
MILLIONS of cedis in mineral royalties money that should be building roads, hospitals, and schools in Ghana’s mining communities are being WASTED on funeral contributions and chair rentals, a top transparency official has revealed in a damning exposé.
The OUTRAGEOUS practice has left mining communities languishing in poverty while local authorities fritter away revenues from Ghana’s FINITE mineral wealth on fleeting social events, according to Dr Emmanuel Steve Asare Manteaw, Co-Chair of the Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI).
“Monies that ordinarily should be used to fund developmental projects in these communities are now being used for funeral contributions, stalling very important projects in mining communities,” Dr Manteaw declared.
Speaking at a Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) workshop on corruption risks in Ghana’s emerging lithium value chain, Dr Manteaw dropped a BOMBSHELL: district assemblies are ROUTINELY squandering mining revenues on RECURRENT EXPENSES rather than long-term development.
The GHEITI findings reveal a DISTURBING trend:
· FUNERAL DONATIONS – cash handouts for mourning families
· CHAIR AND CANOPY RENTALS – spending on public events
· OTHER RECURRENT COSTS – money that disappears with no lasting impact
Instead of investing in LASTING INFRASTRUCTURE that could transform communities, local authorities are treating Ghana’s mineral wealth like a petty cash fund for social obligations.
Dr Manteaw delivered a STARK warning: treating revenues from finite, depletable resources in such a transient manner makes it IMPOSSIBLE to transform host communities.
“We are watching our mineral wealth vanish before our eyes,” one workshop participant told The New Republic. “These communities have been mining for decades and have NOTHING to show for it.”
The comments could not come at a more CRITICAL time.
Ghana is preparing to develop its EMERGING LITHIUM INDUSTRY a potential game-changer for the economy. But participants at the workshop echoed Dr Manteaw’s concerns, insisting that TRANSPARENT and ACCOUNTABLE management of extractive revenues is essential.
Dr Manteaw is now calling for:
· IMMEDIATE implementation of STRICT guidelines to force district assemblies to prioritise CAPITAL-INTENSIVE projects
· INVESTMENTS designed to leave a LEGACY for current and future generations
· ZERO TOLERANCE for squandering mineral wealth on transient social expenses
“We cannot continue to treat our mineral wealth as pocket money,” he stressed.
· Why are district assemblies ALLOWED to squander mineral royalties on funeral donations?
· Who is MONITORING the use of these funds?
· How much money has been WASTED on chair rentals while communities CRUMBLE?
· When will the government step in to STOP this SHAMEFUL practice?
The New Republic has learned that civil society groups are demanding a FULL AUDIT of mineral royalty expenditures at all district assemblies. Meanwhile, mining communities continue to wait for the development they have been promised for decades while their wealth is squandered on funerals and festivities.