The gathering. INSET: Squadron Leader Agyei speaking at the town hall meeting
THE ANTI illegal mining task force, Operation Vanguard, has appealed to the government for drones to enable it carry out its operations effectively.
Public Relations Officer for Operation Vanguard, Squadron Leader Robertson Omane Agyei, said the taskforce needed tactical drones to clamp down on illegal miners nationwide.
He made the appeal at the 10th Town Hall Meeting of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, held recently at Akyem-Osino, within the Fanteakwa North District of the Eastern Region.
He explained that, the Presidential Taskforce has carried out many operations and apprehended some illegal miners across the country, adding that with drones, galamsey sites could be easily located.
He further appealed to the judiciary to give harsher punishments to galamsey offenders to serve as deterrent to others.
According to him, “Our major concern is the sanction regime not being deterrent enough; our passionate appeal to the judiciary is: make the sanction regime more deterrent.”
He explained that, the Operation Vanguard, since its inception, has impounded a total of 101 varied weapons and 2,347 ammunitions from galamsey sites
“We have also seized a total of 548 excavators out of which 215 have been confiscated by court and handed over to various district assemblies and others demobilized; and also 1,447 water pumping machines which have been impounded,” he said.
Additionally, the Operation Vanguard Taskforce has impounded 79 vehicles, 71 motorbikes and 5,271 Shanfai machines from the galamsey mining sites nationwide.
Arrest
Squadron Leader Omane Agyei, added that, over 10 percent of the 1,233 illegal miners arrested out of 1033 operations carried out by the taskforce, had been convicted.
“We have arrested 194 foreigners, 4 from Burkina Faso, Nigeria 3, Togo 10, India 1, Benin 1, China 172 and Niger 3 respectively. Out of the 172 Chinese nationals arrested for engaging in illegal mining, only 22 have been jailed.”
He said the Chinese constitute 97% of foreign nationals arrested by the task force since its operation in July 2017.
Coalition
Nii Laryea Sowah, also known as Kenteman a member of the Coalition, indicated that the coalition has come to the conclusion that if it does not fully participate in the campaign against illegal mining, the country could lose its natural water and forest bodies in the nearest future.
He explained that, the Coalition was not against mining, but against illegal mining.
The Coalition comprising National Commission for Civic Education, Star Ghana, the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association, and the Ghana Community Radio Network, aims to help government’s determined effort to stop the increasing damage of the country’s forests and water bodies through illegal mining, popularly called galamsey.
FROM Daniel Bampoe, Osino