Professor Fidelis Suorineni, School of Mining and Geosciences, Nazarbayev University, has called on Ghanaians to uphold the values of merit, pragmatism, and honesty to ensure proper functioning of the minerals and mining sector.
He noted that the country could boast of excellent Ghanaian mining engineers across the world, well-established regulatory institutions and strong legal frameworks in the minerals and mining sector.
He said despite that, the sector continued to face many challenges, including nepotism and environmental degradation.
He said the underlying cause was the lack of meritorious, pragmatic, and honest people in the sector and thus called on Ghanaians to practice those values.
Prof Suorineni said this in Accra on Wednesday at the opening of the Annual Conference of the Ghana Institute of Geoscientists (GHIGCON- 2023).
The three-day event is on the theme: “Harnessing the Hydrocarbon and Mineral Resource Potential of Sedimentary Basins in Ghana”.
The annual conference brings together Ghana’s geoscience fraternity to exchange and share experiences and research results on various aspects of geoscience.
Dr Anthony Appiah Duah, President, Ghana Institute of Geoscientists, said even though sedimentary basins were globally known to host mineral resources, no substantial mineral resource discoveries had been made yet in Ghana’s sedimentary basins.
He said the need to understand the processes of basin formation and evolution should not be restricted to only the academia.
“As we attempt to understand the link between sedimentary basins and natural resources, there is the need to embark on innovative research and technology in order to exploit oil, gas, petroleum, geothermal, groundwater and mineral resources to meet societal demands,” he said.
Naa Prof Bruce Banoeng -Yakubo, Council member, Ghana Institute of Geoscientists, said, to make Ghana’s extractive resources sustainable, there was the need to diversify resources and intensify research.
It also required systematic geological mapping, auditing of exploratory operations, strong monitoring of prospecting, and proper supervision of key personnel, he added.
Mr Isaac Mwinbelle, Acting Director-General, Ghana Geological Survey Authority, said most of the country’s resources were not renewable and would become scarce over time.
He said it was important to exploit the resources sustainably, while exploring for new ones to maintain economic growth and national development.
He said the Authority was strategically positioned to partner various stakeholders, including the Ghana Institute of Geoscientists to execute its mandate.
Mr Crisler Akwei Ankrah, General Secretary, Ghana Institute of Geoscientists, encouraged conference participants to remain committed to responsibly and sustainably harness Ghana’s hydrocarbon and mineral resources.
“Together, we can leave a legacy of progress, economic growth, and environmental stewardship without jeopardising the right of future generations to determine their own fate,” he said.
