Galamsey equipment don't cost GH¢10, government knows those behind it - Kwame Agbodza

Minority Chief Whip, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has said he does not believe government does not know persons behind the actions of illegal small-scale miners, popularly known as galamsey in the country.

According to him, the equipment used for galamsey are imported, thus, government and national security can track the owners of these supplies.

Speaking on the floor of parliament, Mr Agbodza said the tracking of these equipment will lead to the arrest of the owners who will subsequently be punished by law.

The Minority Chief Whip said, "The guys we saw on the Volta lake in the picture that our colleague has shown were using a kind of equipment. Those equipment are not GH¢10. They are probably hundreds of thousands of dollars or millions of dollars. Somebody in this country is paying for those things. Who are those people?"

"Is the government, National Security saying they don't know those people who buy these machines? Mr Speaker, those machines are not produced in the corner of Kokompe or Suame Magazine. They are imported into this country so how is it not possible for government to trace those who import these machines into the country. I don't believe government doesn't know those behind it because these machines come with an identity," he stated.

Mr Agbodza continued that, "So if someone imports a machine and you find that machine on the Black Volta, you should be able to trace and punish those people."

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has noted that drastic measures have been taken by government to protect the Black Volta from the destructive activities of illegal miners.

According to him, so far, 20 changfans of these illegal miners have been destroyed.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the presentation of the intelligence report on Friday, July 21, 2023, Samuel Abu Jinapor stressed that it was important that the country's Black Volta was protected at all cost.

ESA/NOQ