Samuel Kofi Dzamesi
MINISTER OF Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Samuel Kofi Dzamesi, has hinted that the Akufo-Addo administration, which is fighting a relentless battle against illegal mining (galamsey), has outlined other measures to intensify the fight.
According to him, an inter-ministerial committee had recommended the use of Google Search maps on the digital address system which was recently launched by President Akufo-Addo, to help locate illegal miners who work at night, while a team of trained Navy officers is dispatched to patrol all the river bodies in the country.
Mr Kofi Dzamesi, who was on a two-day tour of the Eastern Region, disclosed this at a durbar organized for the chiefs in the galamsey prone areas of the Kwahu Mpraeso Traditional Council.
He also revealed that the committee had resolved to suspend the issuing of visa to Chinese nationals on arrival in Ghana. “This means that they would have to acquire visa at the Ghana Embassy in Beijing to enable them entry into the country,’’ he explained.
On the issue of licensing mining companies, the minister said the government had tasked all the metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCE’s) to form a committee with the chiefs to approve or revoke licences awarded by the Minerals Commission.
He added, ‘”Government has begun training small scale miners at the Tarkwa School of Mine; 300 people have already been trained on how to do proper mining without the use of mercury.”
At Kyebi, the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, called on the government to enitiate a law that will punish persons who are still engaging in illegal mining activities.
Osagyefuo, who is President of the Eastern Regional House of Chief, noted that although galamsey activities in the country had gone down significantly as a result of government’s numerous efforts, some people are still defying its directives and are engaging in illegal mining.
Osagyefuo Amotia Ofori Panin encouraged the chiefs to support the government to succeed in the fight against illegal mining.
Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Joseph Tetteh, also called on the chiefs to join forces with the government to end galamsey activities and sanitize the water bodies that have been polluted through illegal mining.
FROM Daniel Bampoe, Kyebi