'Corrupt' Minerals Commission workers protecting galamseyers - MP

Joseph Albert Quarm, Member of Parliament for Manso-Nkwanta, has observed that corruption at the Minerals Commission, the regulatory body of mining activities in Ghana, is impeding the fight against the illegal small-scale mining menace (galamsey) in the country.

According to him, some officials at the Commission believe that the Mining and Minerals Act is in their bosom, hence they can interpret it to suit their parochial agenda and to favour some persons to continue carrying out their illicit mining activities.

Commenting on the revelations made by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, that some military officers were shielding some galamseyers, Prof Quarm, while speaking on Ghana Yensom on Accra100.5FM hosted by Chief Jerry Forson on Wednesday May 24, said: “I know for sure that at the appropriate time Honourable Peter Amewu will set up investigations to probe these military and police officers involved in galamsey. By all means their names will come up for us to shame and punish them to deter others from doing that.”

He added: “This war against galamsey is in three parts.

“The first one has to do with the Minerals Commission and all the workers over there. Some workers within the commission believe that the laws governing the sector are in their bosom and so they can interpret them anyhow to suit their agenda. Some of us will challenge them because we also know the law, we need to do the right thing.

“We will need to clean the Minerals Commission for us to get a very strong, formidable commission to move forward as a country. This is the first place.

“Then we move to the Ghanaians fronting for the foreign nationals to engage in small-scale mining. Then thirdly we move to some chiefs who are fuelling galamsey in the country. So these are the three parts that we must tackle in the fight against galamsey.”

He added: Also, we need to review the Minerals and Mining Act to empower Ghanaians to mine in a more regulated manner to avoid destroying the environment and to also flush out these foreigners.”