Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng has commended his outfit’s level of commitment in the fight against illegal mining, popularly referred to as galamsey.
Prof. Frimpong Boateng, who is also the Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Illegal Mining averred that despite the uphill task of curbing the menace, they have been able to make positive gains.
Asked to grade their efforts, Prof. Frimpong Boateng pegged the success rate of the fight against galamsey at 7 out of 10.
“it’s not been easy but even the miners themselves; if we go to the communities, they’ll tell you if the president had not initiated this action, we would have had big problems in Ghana. I think we’re doing well. There’s a long way to go, people have been sensitised…
“… our fight is not just stopping people for mining, but we train people in alternative livelihood measures that are handled by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development… We have trained hundreds of people in bakery, automobile, mechanics and so on. So it has shifted people from illegality into legal occupations,” Prof. Frimpong Boateng explained.
The Environment Minister whose sector and subsequently outfit on fighting galamsey has come under bashing, told GhanaWeb in an exclusive interview that some of the backlashes were uncalled for since the benefits of officials such as Operation Vanguard far outweighs the negative.
He stressed that although there are some bad nuts when reported, they are quickly dealt with by the Military and the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining.
He charged individuals or notable public personalities who have proof of misdemeanour to come forward rather than make hasty generalisations and allegations.
Copyright © 1994 - 2024 GhanaWeb. All rights reserved.
