President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reaffirmed his commitment to ending illegal mining, also known as galamsey, in the country.
This comes after Organised Labour called off their planned nationwide strike, which was scheduled for October 10, after demanding government action to halt galamsey in forest reserves and water bodies.
To address the crisis, President Akufo-Addo in a press statement on Wednesday, October 9, has instructed the Defence Minister to increase military presence in illegal mining areas as part of “Operation Halt.”
“The operation aims to stop all mining activities, whether legal or illegal, particularly around water bodies. To strengthen the operation, the President has ordered the deployment of naval boats on polluted rivers to prevent further mining activity,” part of the statement read.
The President has also directed the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation to suspend the enforcement of the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, 2023.
He has also set up four specialized courts to deal exclusively with illegal mining cases adding that the Attorney General has been tasked to work with the Chief Justice to increase the number of courts handling such cases.
President Akufo-Addo further urged Organised Labour to encourage all presidential candidates and parties to sign a national pact.
“This agreement would commit all political parties to prioritise the fight against galamsey as part of their election promises. The President emphasised that the fight against illegal mining must be a national effort, not a partisan one,” the statement added.
Read the full statement below:
Source: Adomonline
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