Government will sustain the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, President Nana Afdo has promised.
The President also pledged to do everything within his power to restore portions of the environment that had been depleted by galamsey activities.
“No matter how difficult it is, we will win this fight. We will reclaim our heritage. We will get the rivers of our country running again. We will reclaim our lands.”
The President, who made this known at a sensitization workshop for traditional leaders on measures to address galamsey in Accra, appealed to Chiefs and other relevant stakeholders to support government’s fight against the menace.
“We cannot win this fight without the support of the traditional authorities. Any serious social mobilization of Ghana since time immemorial, if you [Chiefs] are not involved, it does not happen. So the reason why we brought you here today is for us to have the opportunity to share with you our strategy and thinking and then to ask of you in the name of the generations yet unborn for your support and active involvement to bring the menace to an end,” the President appealed.
We’ve not given up on galamsey fight
At the same programme, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, said government had not given up the fight against galamsey.
The Vice President said government has adopted a comprehensive approach to fighting the illegality. Dr. Bawumia said government is ensuring that it provides alternative livelihoods for affected persons.
“Nana Akufo-Addo realizes that stopping galamsey also means that we have to provide alternative livelihoods for the people who engage in the galamsey activities because some may just be engaging in it as part of desperation and not knowing what to do to make a living. So we have to take into account a comprehensive and holistic solution to this galamsey issue.”
“We have to deal forcefully with this and that is where the role of the police and the armed forces will come in. and they are being resourced to deal with this. We are seeing this not as a onetime matter that if we are going to deal with the problem of galamsey, it has to be a sustained effort; you don’t go in and go out. Because once you go out, they will just wait for you to go out and they will come back again and continue. So in terms of preparation, and that is why some have wondered why it is taking time; you have to prepare to send in the full forces and troops for a sustained effort to deal with the galamsey menace,” he added.
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.
(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
