Lands Minister Urges Mining Companies To Support Education In Their Host Communities

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Ellembelle, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, has called on mining companies operating in Tarkwa and surrounding areas to prioritize education in their corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Speaking as the special guest of honour at the 70th anniversary durbar of Fiaseman Senior High School (FIASEC), the minister said it is unacceptable that a school of such calibre is struggling with basic infrastructure, despite being located in a resource-rich mining area.

He said Fiaseman SHS is a center of excellence and one of the top-performing schools in the region, yet it lacks critical facilities like a science laboratory and a school bus.

He urged mining companies in Tarkwa, and other parts of the Western Region to invest in institutions like FIASEC, noting that their future engineers, environmental scientists, and doctors are currently being educated in such schools.

The minister also raised concern about the encroachment on the school’s land. Originally allocated 64 acres, the school now has access to only 30 acres due to illegal occupation.

He described this as deeply troubling and assured that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources will take necessary steps to ensure the land is protected and reclaimed.

In an interview with the media, the minister reiterated that the Western Region deserves its fair share of national development.

He disclosed that his ministry is pushing for the construction of an emergency modern mining hospital in Tarkwa to improve healthcare delivery for residents in the area.

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