President cracks down on Galamsey, deploys police, military to fight crisis

Accra, Ghana - September 12, 2024 -  In a bold move to combat the escalating galamsey crisis, President Akufo-Addo has ordered a multi-pronged attack on illegal small-scale mining, deploying police and military personnel to affected areas.

The decisive action follows a national security meeting to assess the devastating impact of galamsey on Ghana's environment and water bodies.

The government's swift response aims to address mounting pressure from stakeholders, including Organised Labour, which threatened a nationwide strike if concrete action wasn't taken.

Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, announced at a press briefing on Wednesday,September 11, 2024, that security personnel will decommission illegal mining equipment, if necessary, to curb the menace.

“The various Regional Security Councils have been tasked to conduct recording sounds and scrutiny of their various areas and begin to roll out swoops and enhance the enforcement regime. So in the days and weeks to come, we will see the heightened and rampant enforcement.

“The Ghana Police Service at various RESECs will be the first point of call, if the need arises we will take it a step further by including the Ghana Armed Forces and when the need arises, we will possibly begin the extraordinary measure of decommissioning equipment used for illegal small scale mining,” he stated.

The move marks a significant escalation in the fight against galamsey, with the government determined to restore sanity to the sector.

The deployment of security forces is expected to intensify in the coming days, with galamsey operators warned to cease activities or face the full force of the law. 

Source : Lead News Online