Galamsey on Black Volta: Minister warns of crackdown on culprits

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has assured Ghanaians that the government will go to any length to flush out illegal miners from the Black Volta and other rivers across the country to protect them from pollution. 

Consequently, he has urged the Sixth Infantry Battalion of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and the Savannah Regional Security Council to deal ruthlessly with all persons engaged in illegal mining in the Black Volta.

Mr Jinapor stated this last Friday after receiving intelligence report on a military operation that was carried out last week to flush out the illegal miners who had besieged the Black Volta.

The Black Volta takes its source from Burkina Faso and flows north and east for about 200 miles (320 km) and then turns south for 340 miles (550km), forming the border between Ghana and Burkina Faso, and also between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

At Bamboi in the Savannah Region, the Black Volta turns north and east, and approximately 80 miles (130km) farther east and empties into Lake Volta. 

Galamsey upsurge

There have been reports of escalating galamsey activities along the Black Volta River, particularly in areas such as Jama, Jugboi, Carpenter and Bamboi in the Savannah Region.

The activities of the galamsey operators have destroyed the integrity of the pristine river, affected agriculture and critical infrastructure, notably the Bui Power Generation Dam and Akosombo Power Generation Dam downstream.

The reports indicated that the unrestrained galamsey activities were also causing irreparable damage to the delicate ecosystem because of the pollution of the river with toxic chemicals such as mercury, cyanide and other harmful substances.

Many other water bodies such as the Pra, Ankobra, Birim, and Offin continue to get turbid through the illegal activities of gold miners.

Mr Jinapor said following the reports of the surge in galamsey on the Black Volta, the Minerals Commission, the Savannah Regional Coordinating Council and the Ghana Armed Forces embarked on an intelligence-gathering operation to ascertain the situation on the ground.

He explained that having had a fair idea of how serious the situation was, the team carried out a number of operations to stop the illegal miners and protect the river from further destruction. In the process, 20 changfans machines, floating platforms used for mining on water bodies, were seized and burnt by the military as part of the operation.

While describing the resurgence of illegal mining activities as "scandalous and unfortunate," Mr Jinapor stressed that the government would take sustained legal measures to protect the Black Volta and other water bodies from illegal mining.

No retreat

In an interview with the Daily Graphic last Saturday, the Savannah Regional Minister, Saeed Muhazu Jibril, said the Regional Security Council and the Sixth Infantry Battalion of the Ghana Armed Forces would be relentless and ruthless in flushing out all illegal miners from the Black Volta.

"We will continue with the operation every week because we have realised that when we flush them out, they regroup and cause more destruction.

We have intelligence that people work in the night, and we will go after them," he said.

Mr Saeed said arrangement had been made to use both ground and air operations in a sustained effort to flush out the illegal miners from the river.

He disclosed further that the Ghana Navy had given out two speed boats to support the operations, while the Air Force in Tamale had also given out two helicopters for air assault.

"I was in Accra yesterday (Friday) and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) also gave us 100 life jackets to aid the operation.

We are prepared to go all out for this operation," he stressed.

He commended the Minerals Commission for the prompt release of funds to support the military operations to rid the Black Volta of galamsey operators. 

Chiefs complicit

When asked what could be fueling the galamsey menace in the area, the regional minister alleged that some chiefs were complicit in the illegality.

He said although the galamsey menace was largely perpetrated by some Chinese, they had the tacit support of some chiefs in the area.

"Some chiefs are asking the illegal miners to build palaces or treatment plants for them, and because of that they support the illegality," he said.

Touching on how he would deal with the situation, he said: "We want to finish the current operation and engage the chiefs to stop that bad attitude."

"We will report them to the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs to act in the national interest," he said.

Mr Saeed added that the Black Volta was mainly getting polluted in the Tain District in the Bono East Region.

"We are trying to speak to my colleague in the Bono East Region to also strike against the galamsey operators there.

They should launch a similar operation in Bono East so that we can get rid of the illegal miners holistically," he said.

He appealed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to create more police barriers within the Savannah enclave and let police officers focus more on the monitoring and impounding of excavators being moved to the area for illegal mining.