The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources says government has secured sufficient funding to support the fight against illegal mining (galamsey) in the country.
He said government will ensure that the fight against illegal mining is sustained especially at a that when it has relaunched operation Halt II to combat the menace.
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, according to the Minister has also directed that henceforth no mining concession or licence should be granted to any applicant unless the Paramount Chief of the area is formally consulted to seek his inputs.
Additionally, the regional ministers and metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) of that particular jurisdiction should also be formally consulted to bring their views to bear on the granting of mining concessions to any individual or company.
In view of the President’s directive, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources has issued a Ministerial Fiat to the Minerals Commission to halt all processes leading to the recommendation for granting of mining concessions and licences until the Commission has sought the inputs of the aforementioned authorities.
Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, the Sector Minister, announced this at a media briefing in Accra on Thursday, to update the public on new measures being implemented by the Government to combat illegal small-scale mining, otherwise known as “galamsey”.
The directive, the Minister said, had become very necessary to enable the traditional and local authorities to play a central role in the fight against illegal small-scale mining, which had wreaked havoc on the environment and water bodies.
Hon. Jinapor stated that when the President met the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi recently, the chiefs raised concerns about them being neglected regarding issuance of mining licences and granting of mining concession to individuals.
Therefore, whenever there was illegal mining within their traditional areas, they had no power to stop it because they did not play any meaningful and active part in the granting of the licences and concessions.
With the enforcement of the Ministerial Fiat, traditional rulers and MMDCEs would play a central role in the fight against galamsey.
The Minister highlighted gamot of measures implemented by the Government so far to stop the galamsey menace including the procurement of speed boats to patrol rivers, training of river guards, forest reserves declared as “red zones” for mining and distribution of mercury free gold processing machines (gold kachas) to small-scale miners.
Collaboration between the Lands Ministry and the Attorney-General’s Office to prosecute illegal miners, both Ghanaians and foreigners, rolling out of Community Mining Schemes for local people, recruitment and engagement of about 80,000 people for alternative livelihood programme, frequent operations by the military (Operation Halt) to mining sites to arrest and burn excavators belonging to illegal miners and setting up of 83 district mining committees to oversee mining at the district level.
It has also launched another Operation Halt II campaign being spearheaded by the Military High Commands in the southern, middle belt and northern commands, which would be sustained until galamsey is brought to a satisfactory situation.
The government has, therefore, allocated significant funds and logistics to the new military operation, Hon.Jinapor stated.
He thus called for collaboration with all stakeholders and change of attitude by all Ghanaians to help in fighting the menace.
The media should constantly educating and sensitising the public on the dangers of galamsey and various diseases such as kidney problems and buluri ulcers affecting inhabitants in the mine areas, the Minister added.
Hon. Jinapor pledged the total and unflinching support of the President and the Ministry towards fighing the galamsey menace, with integrity and transparency without shielding anybody, irrespective of one’s political affiliation or standing in the society.
“We need your support, especially you the media. We need your support, not only to speak about the fact that galamsey is happening, but also to use part of the time to actually educate the public about the dire consequences of galamsey on our environment. This is how we can all work together to fight this menace”, he said.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Kwabena Nyarko Abronoma
