Samuel Abu Jinapor, the minister of lands and natural resources, has stated that the government will continue to combat against galamsey, or unlawful mining.
Samuel Abu Jinapor claims that the government is launching more interventions to aid in the fight against illegitimate mining in the nation. The Minister was addressing in Sunyani at the start of a two-day transformational dialogue on small-scale mining, which was put on by the University of Energy and Natural Resources.
“We are resourcing the Ghana Geological Survey to undertake more geological operations to block out areas of small-scale mining. We are doing this to ensure that small-scale mining becomes sustainable and responsible.
“Those who have vowed to ignore all stringent measures and continue with the illegalities, we are strengthening the law enforcement regime by increasing the punishment for convicted persons engaged in illegal mining.”
Samuel Abu Jinapor
Speaking during the program, Professor Elvis Asare Bediako, Vice Chancellor of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), said that if small-scale mining is carried out responsibly, it might help many people escape poverty. “The artisanal sub-sector alone provides livelihoods of over 100 million jobs to people. The artisanal sub-sector has the potential to lift many rural people out of poverty,” he stated.
Otumfuor Claims Government Cannot Fight Galamsey Alone
The Asantehene is concerned, though, since despite the government’s efforts to stop this threat, illegal mining and logging continue to endanger the nation’s forest reserves.
According to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the government cannot combat the problem of unlawful small-scale mining (Galamsey) on its own.
He promised to take the chiefs in the affected districts to task, for failing to stop the practice in its tracks. He claimed that in order to overcome the difficulty, all parties involved, including the leaders, must work together. He further declared that he would hold the Chiefs in the impacted areas accountable, when touring the galamsey areas in the Ashanti Region.
“Illegal logging and illegal mining continue to affect our forest, it means that government cannot do it alone, we must all get involved and support the government. My chiefs know I have been speaking about this and I am not happy about this in Amansie area, where galamsey has taken over the area. I say to them that if you sit there and you don’t know what is happening, then you are not fit to be chief over there.
“These are matters that we are going to take up again, we have to enforce it and I have to start with my chiefs and then the government has to deal with the other ones. We all have to take this seriously and bring this matter to closure. I am going to take a drive to those areas, Amansie to Manso Nkwanta. If I finish with that, all the chiefs in that area may have to answer why that is happening.”
Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II
According to him, this tragic trend cannot continue, thus, he orders the local chiefs to collaborate with the Forestry Commission and the Ministry of Lands to find a solution for evicting the illegal miners.
He asserted that he had direct knowledge that the majority of the chiefs had benefited from the mining operations. “We all have to fight it…We cannot hide under any thing by saying we don’t know what is happening’’ he noted.
Despite the ongoing destruction of forest reserves by illegal miners, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining the country’s vegetative cover.
“As you know a couple of days ago, I returned from London, where I added the coronation of Prince Charles the III, whose number one legacy is perhaps his commitment to afforestation, reforestation and the fight against climate change.
“Interestingly, my private conversation with him was on land reclamation in Ghana and he agreed to collaborate with me for us to do that. He directed his technical team to my team, to formulate a policy to help Ghana reclaim some of our lands that are destroyed by illegal mining.”
Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II
This declaration was made by Otumfuo because of the important premium he attaches to protection to human life and the protection of the lake.
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