Banning Galamsey Activities In The Country Is Impossible – Nana Opoku
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The numerous calls on government to ban galamsey activities in the country for destroying water bodies, farm lands among others by individuals, groups and civil society organisation seems to be getting attention under the new NPP Nana Addo – led government. The government has given galamsey operators in the country three weeks ultimatum to vacate their operation sites.
However, the chairman of Concerned Galamsey Operators (CGO) at Kyebi in East Akim Municipality in the Eastern Region, Nana Kofi Opoku has expressed worry over the haste decision taken by the government to deal with the issue.
Speaking to Radio 1 news correspondent, Nana Opoku said, government should first tackle the unemployment issues before thinking of putting a ban on galamsey activities because most of the youth are into illegal mining operations due to unemployment.
”It will be difficult for the government to ban galamsey in the country which destroy farmlands and pollute our water bodies like Birim. There should be effective regulations to streamline the mining activities but a total ban on it is impossible because most of the youth are into these mining activities due to the high rate of unemployment in the country” he stated.
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He added that the ministerial taskforce will never meet these operators on site at day time because there are informants who leak the itinerary of the taskforce to them but they (miners) will operate in the night.
”The taskforce will be deployed to the area [mining place] or site but they will not go and meet anybody there, but am telling you the miners will go and do the mining in the night; will the taskforce be there at night as well?” he asked.
He finally appealed to the sector minster, John Peter Amewu and His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwah Akuffo Addo to create more jobs across the country in order for the youth to get decent and legal source of livelihood but banning the galamsey is impossible.
Story filed by Nana Kwabena Addo/radio1ghana.