Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, as part of efforts to curb small-scale illegal mining has called on communities and their leaders to help fight ‘galamsey’.
The Minister speaking during the second day of his tour to various mining communities asked for support to end especially mining activities destroying the various bodies.
“Nananom and members of the community, we cannot fight this fight alone as Government. The illegal miners operate in your communities and we need commitment from you to stop them.”
Samuel Jinapor
Mr. Jinapor indicated that, illegal small-scale mining has harmed many water bodies across the country. He indicated the act is also causing those water bodies to lose their very existence and nature.
The Minister touched on the effects of unregulated small-scale mining which has also burdened the Ghana Water Company in terms of water quality and treatment.
The Minister further said it was only through a national consensus and support for a policy on regulated small-scale mining that Ghana’s water bodies may revive from its current state. He also said it will as well help avoid the looming water crisis in the near future.
Mr Jinapor said the Ministry was working to reform the licensing regime to ensure that permit for prospective small-scale miners were also secured on time.
“We are going to ensure that the security components also work to the letter. And as you know, we have vested such powers in the Regional Coordinating Councils to help us in the fight. At the very least, our water bodies should be safe. No mining in Forest reserves and water bodies”.
Samuel Jinapor
Support government to succeed the fight
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, therefore, entreated communities and their chiefs to join efforts and support the government to succeed in the fight to restore the water sources.
“Let the chiefs and communities rise up to support. The laws must be applied strictly devoid of colors and positions.”
Samuel Jinapor
Samuel Abu Jinapor, reiterated that the tour by the three ministers form part of collaborative efforts to systematically root out illegal small-scale mining and restore the sanctity of the various rivers.
The Minister also said the tour of some water bodies is to get information for the Ghana Water Company to enable them assess the effects of unregulated mining on water treatment in the Western Region.
The Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, together with the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah;and the Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, Cecilia Dapaah;are currently touring some river sites in the Central and Western Regions.
The three Ministers are monitoring the devastating effect of ‘galamsey’ or illegal mining on river bodies in the two regions. The tour will aid gather baseline data on the status of the country’s water bodies;to inform policy direction and action.
The tour comes days after a national stakeholder consultative dialogue on illegal mining was held in Accra.
