The General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM), Godwin Amarh, has expressed readiness to collaborate with stakeholders to minimize activities of illegal mining, otherwise known as ‘galamsey’ in the country.

According to him, the association will play its part in working with stakeholders to implement policies and programs to help rid small-scale mining of illegal activities. He indicated that this is because the destruction of the environment and pollution of water bodies by the activities of illegal miners has become a cause for concern in the country.

Describing calls by section of the public for a ban on small-scale mining as “preposterous, insensitive, and a lazy man’s approach” to solving the illegal mining menace in the country, Mr Armah noted that a ban will not solve the problem.

“Although we don’t agree with the Christian Council, Occupy Ghana, media coalition against illegal mining and other Ghanaians calling for a total ban on all forms of small-scale mining, we are prepared to collaborate with these stakeholders to minimize illegal mining in the country. We believe that the issues surrounding the sector must be properly addressed without emotions to save our forests and river bodies from further destruction and to safeguard our environment for healthy living and posterity for all.”

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Armah noted that it will be prudent for regulatory agencies to identify and clampdown on those engaged in illegal mining activities and allow those being regulated and doing legal mining to work without any hindrance.

“Will it be fair to close all radio stations because some are acting unprofessionally? No. Same applies in the mining sector. People acting contrary to the laws should be singled out and punished. Small scale miners are not issued with license to mine on river bodies, so anyone mining on waterbodies is a galamseyer.”

Review of community mining

To address the problem, Mr Armah proposed a bi-partisan and community enforcement approach to tackling illegal mining.

“Illegal mining is a national challenge but the solution is at the local level. There is no way illegal mining will prevail when communities are properly organized to manage mining in their areas. Also Municipal, Metropolitan and District Chief Executives who cannot manage the activities of illegal miners should be sacked.”

The General Secretary of GNASSM indicated that the community mining concept should be reviewed and properly implemented to be more beneficial to the local community. He emphasized that the community should be the “owners of the mines than the current state where mostly individuals own the concession, [as] this creates confusion in most mining communities”.

Prior to this, GNASSM announced its intentions in helping government’s renewed efforts in the fight against illegal mining. The group stated that it has unanimously decided to adopt the Birim River as it pet-project and will initiate and support measures to cleanse the river.

The Association emphasized that it will partner all relevant stakeholders to ensure the turbidity of the River Birim is reduced to a desirable level.