The Central Regional Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Bernard Allotey Jacobs says confiscation of lands being used for illegal mining will end the menace completely.
He believes the move will enable government to identify people behind the act and possibly prosecute them if necessary. “This menace is very serious and destroying our water bodies and so I’m urging government that if the matter becomes critical, then it should as a matter of urgency, confiscate lands believed to be used for this activity and when that happens trust me, we will get hold of the owners of these lands and prosecute them for destroying our lands” he said.
A number of water treatment plants have been shut down across the country because their water sources have been polluted by activities of illegal miners. According to the Director
According to the Director for Natural Resources at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Carl Fiati, Ghana may soon import drinking water from neighbouring countries if illegal mining also known ‘galamsey’ is not checked.
But speaking on Adom FM’s Morning Show “Dwaso Nsem” on Tuesday, Mr. Allotey Jacobs called for a collective effort by government and the Chinese government to stop illegal mining in the country.
“Government needs to engage the Chinese government and make them aware of their activities of these nationals and how it affects the country’s water bodies. Mechanisms need to be put in place to educate them be given the right requirement to do the right thing” he noted.
He opined that, the foreign nationals who come to Ghana to undertake illegal mining are invited by Ghanaians who lead them to the illegal mining sites and their presence might not be known to the law enforcement agencies.
Mr. Allotey Jacobs therefore called on government to engage chiefs who cede parts of their stool lands for that practice to put a stop to the act since it will only destroy water bodies in the country.
“Government needs to engage the Chinese government and make them aware of their activities of these nationals and how it affects the country’s water bodies.
Mechanisms need to be put in place to educate them be given the right requirement to do the right thing” he noted.
Mr. Jacobs opined thatthe foreign nationals who come to Ghana to undertake illegal mining are invited by Ghanaians who lead them to the illegal mining sites and their presence might not be known to the law enforcement agencies.
He opined that, the foreign nationals who come to Ghana to undertake illegal mining are invited by Ghanaians who lead them to the illegal mining sites and their presence might not be known to the law enforcement agencies.
Mr. Allotey Jacobs, therefore, called on government to engage chiefs who cede parts of their stool lands for that practice to put a stop to the act since it will only destroy water bodies in the country.
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