By Hassan Osman Kargbo

The speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Rt. Hon. Dr Mohamed Sidie Tunis has informed Member states that Mining sector has the potential to contribute 7.5 per cent to Ghana’s GDP, 10. 2 per cent to the GDP of Burkina Faso, 4 per cent to the GDP of Cote d’Ivoire while Nigeria receives only 9 % from the sector with 80 per cent of the mining in region. He made this statement during ECOWAS meeting of Member States in Sierra Leone.

According to him government of Member States to immediately investigate and find sustainable solutions to the complex interplay of factors which have denied the region the benefits of its vast mineral resources which are being illegally mined to the detriment of the States.

He noted that the community’s vision 2050 document of the mining sector has the potential to contribute 7.5 per cent to Ghana’s GDP, 10. 2 per cent to the GDP of Burkina Faso, 4 per cent to the GDP of Cote d’ Ivoire while Nigeria receives only 9% from the sector with 80 per cent of the mining in the country’s North West region carried out illegally.

‘Citing the community’s vision 2050 document, the mining sector has the potential to contribute 7.5 per cent to Ghana’s GDP, 10. 2 per cent to the GDP of Burkina Faso, 4 per cent to the GDP of Cote d’ Ivoire while Nigeria receives only 9% from the sector with 80 per cent of the mining in the country’s North West region carried out illegally,’ he stated.

He therefore called for the proper regulation of the sector with the expectation that this would make the sector more impactful on the economies of the Member States, as illegal mining of the region’s precious minerals not only robs the region of much needed revenue to grow their economies but has resulted in instances of instability through banditry, kidnapping, thuggery and in some cases insurgency.

The speaker noted that it was in recognition of the value of the mining sector to the economies of the Member states that the leadership of the Parliament decided to dedicate the last parliamentary seminar of the fifth legislature to the sector. He admitted that the expectation that at the end of the seminar parliamentarians would have a greater appreciation of the regional mining frameworks and challenges to their implementation and make recommendations where regional collaboration could be fostered to boost the sector.

He also pledged to bring parliament closer to the people; instill accountability and transparency in the operations of the Parliament; initiate reflection on the election of the election of the parliamentarians by direct universal suffrage; institute administration reforms for strengthening the human resource capacity of the Parliament and address issues of concern to the community.

The Speaker noted at an event which was graced by President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, that the fifth legislature has delivered on these commitments, manifested by the examination and issuance of opinion on 83 draft community Acts and adoption of 93 resolutions of parliament.