“It’s Time We Name And Shame Gov’t Appointees Involved In Galamsey”- Hon. Simon Osei Mensah
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon Simon Osei Mensah, has indicated that, the fight against the illegal mining is a core to the foundation of the Ghanaian individual.
According to him, the galamsey is a destruction to our land, forest and water bodies.
Speaking on the Regional Consultative Dialogue on Small Scale Mining at the KNUST in Kumasi, he added that, the destruction of the farmlands affect the food security and has disastrous consequences on the country.
Hon. Simon Osei Mensah stressed that, it is time the government appointees involved in the galamsey are being named and shamed and given proper sanctions.
“We can’t go against the principles, policies of the president. I pray all the stakeholders succeed in the fight against the galamsey,” he said
Background
In 2017, Nana Akufo-Addo declared that he was prepared to put his presidency on the line in the fight against galamsey.
His declaration was amidst new measures such as the deployment of police and military personnel to arrest illegal miners across the country and the introduction of a community mining programme aimed at regulating small-scale mining in communities in an environmentally sustainable manner.
Recently, there have been complaints that the water bodies that were regaining their natural state at the height of the fight against galamsey are becoming polluted again due to the increasing activities of illegal mining in various parts of the country.
President Akufo-Addo said the major challenge with the issue of illegal mining in Ghana is the use of technology which has worsened the effect on the country’s environment.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has dissolved the Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM).
IMCIM was established by the New Patriotic Party government to clamp down on illegal small-scale mining also known as galamsey which was causing havoc to the country’s water resources and lands.
The Committee was headed by the former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.