PRESIDENT Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has revealed that his government is putting in place proactive measures to ensure that small-scale gold mining is conducted in a sustainable manner in the country.
According to President Akufo-Addo, “the sustainable small-scale mining regime we envisage will protect our environment and protect the workers as well.”
Touching on the issue of “galamsey” in his address to workers at this year’s May Day celebrations, at the Independence Square on Monday, May 1, 2017 President Akufo-Addo conceded that “since the Almighty blessed us with precious minerals, there will be mining in our country.”
He was however, unequivocal about that fact that “this present generation does not own the earth, we hold the lands in trust for generations yet unborn and we cannot destroy it.”
The President continued: “I have not yet met anyone who is engaged in galamsey who is satisfied with the degradation of our lands and our environment that currently comes with galamsey. We are not fighting to put people out of work by seeking to end galamsey.”
The President noted that all indications point to the fact that galamseyers do not make much money, as they are routinely cheated from getting a fair price for the gold they find, and, as such, government is “encouraging the establishment of gold refineries, which will pay fair prices to the miners.”
President Akufo-Addo acknowledged, with special thanks, the support and role being played by the media in this fight against “galamsey”.
“The media, with the overwhelming support of all well-meaning citizens, have given true meaning to the call for all ‘to be citizens and not spectators,’ he added.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo left Ghana on Tuesday for Togo to hold talks with his counterparts.
The visit, according to sources at the presidency, will focus on the pollution of some water bodies and destruction of forest reserves due to the activities of illegal gold miners in Ghana.
The President will from Togo head to Ivory Coast and Cameroon where he will hold similar talks with the Presidents of both countries.
The move by the President comes days after a powerful delegation from Ivory Coast called on President Akufo-Addo at the Flagstaff House to express concern about the constant pollution of some of their water bodies due to galamsey activities in Ghana.
There has been intense pressure on government to end the illegal practice, and save water bodies and the environment from further destruction.
Currently, some water treatment plants in Ghana have been shut down due to activities of illegal miners, which have rendered water bodies from which the plants harvest water for processing, useless.
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