Mature government officials would read the papers every morning to find out the major concerns of the people and take initiatives to address them before tempers flare.
Kartong is a classic example of insensitivity and irresponsiveness to popular concerns and demands.
Foroyaa did learn about the grievances of the residents of Kartong in a letter to the editor. Instead of relying on the observation of one person, the paper conducted interviews with the villagers, including village authorities.
The common view is that mining is eroding the environment in Kartong without providing any material gain to the villagers.
One would have expected the Minister of the Environment, Climate Change,Water Resources and Wild life to immediately send experts to engage the residents of Kartong to discuss the way forward since the degradation of the environment was at the top of the agenda of the villagers.
We hope the Minister would take immediate action to deal with the situation.
Foroyaa will continue the advocacy for environmental impact assessment on the mining in Kartong to be conducted and for benefits to accrue to the village. These are legitimate demands deserving the urgent attention of government.
