In response to calls for decisive action to curb the menace of illegal mining, the government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, has mandated all regional ministers to lead the various Regional Security Councils (REGSEC) to intensify the fight in their various jurisdictions.
The impact of the menace of illegal mining, widely known as galamsey continues to bite hard affecting the country’s water sources, health systems, and the general economy. The impact again is currently seen in the high turbidity levels making the water untreatable for human use.
Experts project that if nothing is done to curb the menace, Ghana might be forced to import potable water by the year 2030. The rise in diseases such as cancer, lung, and respiratory disorders, health professionals attribute to the rampant illegal mining activities which use poisonous chemicals. Economists estimate that galamsey is costing the economy US$2.3 billion annually.
With the renewed calls for an intensified fight against what the United Nations likens to war against humanity, the sector minister after an engagement with the regional ministers of the country has adopted some measures to address the menace.
In a statement published by the Ministry, Samuel Abu Jinapor says the government is continuing with what he describes as a “dual strategy of reformative measures and strict enforcement.”
To lead the charge are Regional Ministers who are chairmen of the various Regional Security Councils.
“The Regional Ministers, alongside their respective Regional Security Councils (REGSEC), have been mandated to intensify enforcement actions within their various jurisdictions to contain incidents of illegal small-scale mining,” parts of the Ministry’s statement read.
According to the Ministry, the government remains committed to continuing to restore order in the sector and ensure that small-scale mining activities are conducted in a sustainable and legal manner.
“While Government warmly welcomes the heightened interest in this all-important national issue, we urge the discourse to be devoid of partisanship so as to enable us to galvanize the needed national and collective support to root this canker,” the statement further cautioned.
Meanwhile, Organized labor has issued an ultimatum to the government to declare a state of emergency at all galamsey sites in order to enhance the fight against the menace. Failure of the government to meet this demand and many others, the labor unions say they will embark on a series of demonstrations and a nationwide strike.
