The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker, has called on Ghanaians to help government fight illegal mining and protect the country’s waterbodies.
Honorable Mireku Duker averred that the strive to protect the country’s resources is a national duty and that all Ghanaians must join forces with government to attain that feat.
“Illegal mining has been the bane of this country. It’s a canker that collectively we must all fight. It’s a struggle that we must get out of our way. People are finding ways and means to have money at all cost without taking into consideration the future of this country.”
George Mireku Duker
The Deputy Minister iterated that government has bold initiatives that will ensure safety and sustainable mining aimed at bringing the needed development and improvement to mining communities.
Mireku Duker noted that these laudable policies are being threatened by illegal mining and gold smuggling hence the need for all Ghanaians to contribute and demonstrate enough patriotism to the fight.
George Mireku Duker
“People are mining in our river bodies without any recourse to the heritage of this country. We call on everybody to help fight these recalcitrants. If care is not taken, we may import water going forward and as a country we must try to deal with that.”
Mireku Duker further reported that some major waterbodies in the country are beginning to regain their turbidity levels.
“I am reliably informed that River Pra is getting better as far the turbidity level is concerned. Let’s fight to bring back Ankobra, Birim and Offin.”
George Mireku Duker
The Deputy Minister clarified that the government is focused on revamping the Natural resources sector to make it more profitable to Ghanaians. He dismissed notions that the current administration is seeking to collapse the small-scale mining sector.
Traceability system to stop gold smuggling
Meanwhile, Mireku Duker has disclosed that a traceability system has been put in place by the Minerals Commission to help stop the smuggling of gold by miners to neighboring countries.
The Deputy Minister noted that the new system is part of best practices aimed at curbing gold smuggling and securing the nation’s interest in the mining sector.
Honorable Mireku Duker stated that the Precious Mineral Marketing Company is the only firm mandated by law to assay gold and that anyone found to have circumvented the laid down protocols will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
Speaking during the inauguration of the Tarkwa Nsuaem District Mining committee, he posited that the main mandate of the District Mining committee is to ensure that Mining is done responsibly and in accordance with the Minamata Convention.
The Minamata Convention on Mercury, he explained, is an International treaty designed to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compound.
The Deputy Minister charged the committee to ensure that Mining in the communities are made attractive to local investors thereby creating multinational companies out of the Community Mining.
Read Also: Lionel Messi’s Exit from Barcelona Had Zero Impact on LaLiga- LaLiga President
