Former Director of the Minerals Commission, Mr Richard Kofi Afenu, has disclosed that he disagrees with calls for the government to ban small-sjcale mining in the country following the menance it is causing the state.

According to him, banning small-scale mining is not the answer to illegal mining otherwise known as galamsey.

“I do not think a ban on small-scale mining would yield the desired result of fighting illegal mining. In 2017, a ban was imposed on mining. The question is, were we able to root out illegal mining?”
Richard Afenu

Expressing his view on galamsey in an interview today November 11, Mr. Afenu asked the government to provide lasting solutions, including the stringent enforcement of laws that govern mining in the country.

“We need to look at the drivers, and what is causing illegal mining in the country. Let’s tackle the root cause. Let us see the powers that are backing the illegal miners.”
Richard Afenu

He argues that the astronomical increase in gold production when a ban on mining was imposed in 2018, was enough evidence that a new ban will not yield the required results but will only make room for illegal mining to prevail.

Accoring to him, analysts have warned that Ghana risks being food and water insecure as the activities of illegal miners continue to destroy water bodies and ravage farmlands.

Notwithstanding, religious groups, Civil Society Groups such as Green Advocate Ghana among others have called on the government to ban small-scale mining in the country.

These groups posit that both illegal and legal small-scale mining have destroyed biodiversity, hence the need for its restoration.

Eastern Region GWCL Reeling From High Treatment Cost

The pollution of water bodies in the Eastern Region is due to the activities of illegal miners has adversely affected water quality in the area.

The situation has compelled the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) to use more chemicals for the treatment of water to make it wholesome for human consumption.

The Eastern Regional Chief Manager of the Ghana Water Company Limited, Asomani Kweku Nyarko, in an interview stated that the company had to use more chemicals such as chlorine and alum, among
others, which was making them incur huge losses.

He said before the illegal mining (galamsey) menace, the company was using 19 milligrammes of chemicals per litre of water but currently it was using 103 milligrammes of chemicals per litre of water.

One of the heavily polluted water bodies is the Birim River.