The Western Regional Security Council and the District Mining Committees in the Western Region have been urged to rise and assume their proper roles in the fight against illegal mining activities in the region.
The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources responsible for Mines, Mr George Mireku Duker, who made this call asserted that the anti-galamsey fight was a national and civic call to duty that must be answered with alacrity and devotion by any Ghanaian, more especially those with responsibilities in the various districts.
He stressed the need for traditional authorities, who are guardians of lands and culture, to take urgent action and take the lead in the battle against illegal mining.
While acknowledging the special and challenging nature of the task, the Deputy Minister reiterated that to succeed in the fight against illegal mining, all parties involved must cooperate with the government.
To individuals still engaged in illegal mining, Mr Duker warned that "we are coming for you and whoever is apprehended by the security authorities, irrespective of his political or religious colour will be prosecuted."
He said the government would not permit a few self-serving individuals to illegally devastate the nation's river bodies.
He called on the youth to join the fight, stressing that the battle against illegal mining was a process and not an event.
"It is not an easy battle, it's a war. It's not an event, it is a process. We know the menace may not be uprooted but we can reduce it to an appreciable level. If we had not implemented certain measures the situation would have been worse. We commend the security agencies but we need to do more. The government is doing its best to turn around the fortunes of the small-scale mining sector. It is important for us to join forces with the government in the fight," he emphasized.
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Mr Duker stated some key interventions initiated by the government to streamline the small-scale mining sector.
Some of these are the Community Mining Scheme, which aims to provide alternative employment opportunities for illegal miners and the National Alternative Livelihood Employment Programme (NALEP), which aims to regularize the activities of illegal small-scale miners through sustainable and responsible mining practices.
He also mentioned river warden training, the purchase of speedboats and constant patrol of river bodies as other measures that are already yielding positive results.
