Amid mounting pressure and public outcry over the devastating impact of illegal mining, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has assured Ghanaians of immediate and resolute action to tackle the menace.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, the Minister downplayed suggestions that the government had relaxed its efforts in combating galamsey, emphasizing that an emergency meeting would be held to address the issue.
He revealed that security forces would be swiftly deployed to affected areas to vigorously tackle the situation.
This assurance comes on the heels of recent calls by the public for the government to step up its anti-galamsey efforts, following a statement by the Ghana Water Company Limited that it had been forced to ration water supply to parts of Cape Coast, Winneba, and Mankessim due to illegal mining activities on its water sources.
The Minister expressed confidence that the new measures would lead to a complete remediation of the situation, restoring the country’s water and forest resources.
“We are going to have a review today, and I’m 1,000% certain that we are going to deploy. We are going to ramp up our enforcement measures. So all these places you are talking about, we are going to have a clean-up there,” he stated.
The government’s renewed commitment to fighting galamsey is a welcome development, given the severe environmental and health impacts of illegal mining.
Background:
Galamsey, a local term for illegal mining, has been a persistent problem in Ghana, causing widespread environmental degradation and water pollution.
Despite previous efforts to combat the menace, the situation has continued to deteriorate, prompting growing concerns among citizens and environmental groups.
In recent years, the government has implemented various measures to tackle galamsey, including the deployment of security forces and the establishment of a task force to monitor and enforce mining regulations.
However, the persistence of the problem has raised questions about the effectiveness of these efforts.
BY Daniel Bampoe