A former Commander of the anti-galamsey taskforce under John Mahama’s administration, Captain John Kwame Jabari (Rtd) has said, the government’s current fight against galamsey lacks political will.
Reacting to a viral video which shows a massive pollution of the Offin River due to illegal mining on Akoma FM’s midday news, Captain Jabari said “the current government has been swallowed by galamsey.”
He said until there is a deliberate effort to fight the menace, the country will continue to invest in a losing battle.
“The president said he has put his presidency on the line in the fight against galamsey, the state has spent almost GH₵1.5 billion in fighting galamsey; what have we achieved?,” he quizzed.
Meanwhile, the Minerals Commission of Ghana has threatened to deal ruthlessly with persons who would be found engaging in galamsey activities on the Offin River.
In a statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Martin Kwaku Ayisi, it assured the public of its resolve to investigate the matter with the swiftness it deserves to bring those involved to book.
“The attention of the Minerals Commission has been drawn to a video on social media about alleged illegal mining in the Offin River. The Commission wishes to assure the general public that the matter is being investigated and swift and ruthless action will be taken to deal with this and any other such illegal activities. Our resolve is resolute and total.
“Within the last two years, Government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR) and the Commission, has introduced several measures to deal with illegal mining, popularly referred to as “galamsey”. These measures include the introduction of Operation Halt II, engagement with relevant stakeholders, revamping of the Community Mining Scheme, geological investigation of designated areas to identify mineralized areas to be allocated to small scale miners, the distribution of one hundred (100) mercury-free equipment to ensure responsible mining and the inauguration of District Mining Committees to monitor and supervise small scale operations. All enforcement mechanisms as well as intelligence gathering have been enhanced on all fronts,” the statement indicated.
By William Evans-Nkum|AkomaFM|Onuaonline.com
