Attorney General urged to prosecute galamsey operators
Mr Kenneth Ashigbey, Convenor for Coalition Against Small Scale Mining, has said the crusade against illegal mining lies in the power of the Attorney General to prosecute those who flout mining laws in the country.
He said this would give much credence to President Akufo -Addo’s resolve to stem the galamsey menace in the country.
Mr Ashigbey was addressing a town hall meeting of all stakeholders in the fight against galamsey at Wassa Akropong in the Amenfi-East District of the Western Region.
He said in spite of the vigorous campaign against galamsey, it was still in operation by some Chinese nationals who according to him have the support of some indigenes from the Amenfi-East area.
Mr Ashigbey urged District Chief Executives (DCEs) to champion the campaign to flush out galamsey operators and asked the President to fire any DCE who condoned galamsey activities in the country.
He also tasked journalists in the Western Region to investigate and expose galamsey activities.
Mr Kwaku Osei Afriyie, the Western Regional Minister, said there had been an upsurge in galamsey activities in most parts of the Region notably, Wassa-Amenfi, Ellembelle and Bia Districts.
He called on small scale operators mining in the forest reserve without the requisite license to stop since the law frowned upon their activities.
The Regional Minister said a number of social vices such as prostitution, wee smoking, rampant killings among others were emanating from galamsey activities.
Mr Patrick Kwame Seim, the Member of Parliament for Amenfi-East, said more than 50 communities in the District lacked potable water due to galamsey activities.
He said the government would outline a number of social interventions for galamseyers and implored them to stop their activities and wait for the six months moratorium from government.
The MP said many indigenes were trying to thwart the efforts of security agencies to arrest Chinese nationals who were in the small scale mining business without any permit.
Giving an update on “Operation Vanguard”, ACP David Eklu, Director-General in charge of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, said the Police Administration continues to collaborate with the media coalition in the fight against galamsey.
He said the Police have arrested more than 430 illegal miners in the anti-galamsey operation, adding that operation vanguard was not to harass citizens but to maintain security by fighting illegal mining and restore the environment.
ACP Eklu said according to the Western Regional Police Commander, operation vanguard has helped to reduce the crime rate in the region.
He called for all hands to be on deck to support traditional rulers to curb the nuisance in small scale mining areas.
Mrs Helena Appiah, the District Chief Executive for Amenfi-East, lauded the media for their role in the fight for all Ghanaians to stop galamsey activities.
She pledged the readiness of the District Assembly to collaborate with traditional rulers and do all in their power to stop galamsey activities.
Tetretre Okuamoah Sekyim II, the Omanhene of Wassa Akropong traditional area, reiterated Wassaman’s readiness to give the required support to the President’s call to eliminate illegal mining in Ghana.
Source: GNA