General Secretary of the Ghana National Small Scale Miners Association, Godwin Armah has advised government to involve local and technical people if it intends to end the illegal mining menace popularly called ‘galamsey’ that has become an albatross around our necks.
The fight against galamsey is proving to be far from success as illegal mining operators are beginning to troop back to some of the major illegal mining sites.
Armed with chanfan machines, dozens of illegal miners have for example returned to River Ankobra, causing serious pollutions as they hunt for one of the world’s most valuable metals.
Speaking on Plan B FM ‘Ebaanosen’ with Bohyeba Afriyie, Mr. Armah bemoans the deployment of military personnel to the mining sites without involving technical and local people living in the mining community.
“Some of the military or the task force men became a challenge for us in the fight against illegal small scale mining. Fighting illegal mining is not just using the military or from the national level, although it is a national problem, the solution should be at the local level. Because if you come and seize their equipments and stop them from mining, by all means there is a vacuum and they will come back and perpetuate the illegality,” he said.
He also said the issue of illegal mining stems from the high unemployment rate in the country. He urged the government to address the country’s employment deficit, which has resulted in many young people engaging in illegal mining.
Mr. Armah further stated that some persons in high positions also use their connections to aid people to engage in illegal mining activities like working in the forest reserves, which they benefit immensely from the act.
In conclusion, he also blamed the activities of dredgers who use chanfans to dredge the riverbed, which has increased the turbidity level of the river.
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