On Tuesday, December 20, 2022, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, minister of lands and natural resources, appealed to the queen mothers of the Asanteman traditional council to help the government combat illegal mining in their various traditional areas.
Because he believes in the power that women, especially those with traditional authority, possess, the fight against illegal mining is a collective one and as such cannot be won without the efforts and support of significant stakeholders like Queen mothers. He said: "If you want to conquer the world let the women lead and you will have the world under your feat." Added he
Hon. Jinapor said, "I have been here to court the support of the Otumfo and the Chiefs of the Asanteman and it will be unacceptable on my part not to court your support because without you we cannot win this fight," during a meeting with the Queen mothers in Kumasi on the sidelines of his one-day tour of the Ashanti Region.
He lamented how alarming the willful destruction of the nation's lands and natural resources, particularly its river bodies, had spread. He then employed the Queen Mother through this hearty remark to mechanise measures that will aid the government in combating the destructive threat.
He reaffirmed the government's positions on mining in general, saying, "As I have always said, the government is not against mining; we love our gold and other minerals, and we love the jewellery we make from them. What we are against is the illegal way of carrying out the act, and we want you to help us fight against that."
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources promised to support the Queen mothers and said he would see to it that the Minerals Commission gave them the tools they needed to fight against illegal mining. He also promised to involve them in the Green Ghana Project in the upcoming year.
The Queen mother of the Mampong, Traditional Area Nana Agyakuma Difie spoke on the Queen's behalf and reassured the Minister of their support. She also rallied the other mothers to support the government in its fight against the threat because, she said, if the natural resources deteriorate, it will be against them and their future generations.
He asked the minister to provide the Queen moms with all resources they would need in order to answer their appeal to combat the threat.
The Queen mothers from Bono, Ahafo, Bono East, and Adansi thanked the Lands Minister for the meeting and spoke to support the request made on their behalf by the Mampong Queen mother.
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