I’m committed to the fight against galamsey – President Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has restated his government’s commitment to ending the illegal mining menace.

President Akufo-Addo in an interview with Zain Exchange on Monday stated that his government has renewed the fight and introduced new measures to clamp down on activities of illegal miners.

He disclosed that the Ghana Armed Forces will this week take its fight against galamsey a notch higher with some major operations.

“We are determined to come to grip with it. In fact this week major operations are being authorized by me, the Armed Forces to clear our rivers of all the equipment, the machinery that is devastating and polluting our environment and waters.

“So we are taking some very strong measures to try to come to grips with it,” he said.

The government in its renewed war on galamsey dispatched over 200 military personnel to remove all illegal mining operations undergoing on various water bodies.

The government has also ordered all prospecting activities in the country to cease and also directed the Mineral and Forest Commissions to stop issuing licenses to persons or companies.

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has also set up a monitoring and evaluation team to evaluate progress in the fight against illegal mining.

“Also, in accordance with the highest standards of transparency, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources has tasked the Minerals and Forestry Commissions to publish the list of companies holding prospecting and or reconnaissance licenses in Forest Reserves by close of working day on Friday, 7th May, 2021.

“Whiles the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is encouraged by the response of the nation, the ongoing operations of the security agencies, and, in some cases modest progress in this endeavour, we continue to call on the Ghanaian Public to support our efforts to sanitize the small scale mining sector and reiterates the overriding necessity for a broad-based, non-partisan and collective strive to rid the sector of illegalities which continue to threaten our very survival,” a statement from the Ministry reads.