Galamsey fight entering a new phase – Akufo-Addo

President Akufo Addo has charged the ten (10) member inter-ministerial committee on Environment and Natural Resources to effectively participate in the fight against illegal mining.

He made this call Thursday December 28 at a ceremony to commission the secretariat for the Inter-ministerial committee on illegal mining.

In a short speech at the ceremony, president Akufo-Addo disclosed that the year 2018 will see increased government support for the fight against the menace popularly known as “galamsey” in the country, stressing “the fight against galamsey is entering a phase with this office in place [and] that there is going to be constant, close and effective monitoring and reporting of galamsey activities so that the right thing is done all the time.”

The committee, he said ought to take full advantage of the support that would be provided and ensure that illegal mining is dealt with, saying: “Upon my assumption of office on January 7, I had the responsibility to say no to galamsey for our own common survival and the survival of those yet to come. I was of the view that if we allowed it to continue we’ll be jeopardizing both our present and our future.”

In his remarks the chairman of the committee and Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng assured that he and his colleague ministers who constitute the committee will work with all stakeholders particularly the Association of Small Scale Miners of Ghana to ensure that the fight against the scourge is won.

The Committee

The ten (10) member committee which is being chaired by Prof. Frimpong Boateng is tasked with the responsibility of implementing to the letter government’s strategy on combating the illegal mining menace the country is faced with.

The other committee members are the Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, the Minister for the Interior, Ambrose Dery, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Peter Amewu, Minister for Regional Reintegration, Dan Botwe, and Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid,

The rest are; Minister for Water Resources and Sanitation, Kofi Adda, Minister for Local Government, Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation, Akoto Osei and the for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Kofi Dzamesi.