Govt intensifies enforcement against galamsey - As university administrators join calls for quick action

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor, has stated that the government will continue with the dual strategy of reformative measures and strict enforcement in the fight against illegal small-scale mining.

After a meeting to engage regional ministers to review ongoing efforts at dealing with the canker, the minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Damongo, said in a statement that the meeting adopted additional measures to “tackle the age old national problem of illegal small-scale mining (galamsey), through a comprehensive approach.

The statement said the regional ministers, alongside their Regional Security Councils (REGSEC), had been mandated to intensify enforcement actions within their various jurisdictions to contain incidents of illegal small-scale mining.

Also, the Minerals Commission, the regulator of mining activities, would enhance its reformative efforts, particularly through ramping up the establishment of responsible and legal community mining schemes which had regard to the preservation of our nation's environment and landscape.

“Government remains steadfast and committed to continue to restore order and ensure that mining activities are conducted sustainably and legally in the national interest.

 We entreat all and sundry to support these efforts to enable us to protect our environment, preserve our water bodies, and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come,” the statement added.

It said while the government welcomed the heightened interest in this all-important national issue, “we urge the discourse to be devoid of partisanship so as to enable us to galvanise the needed national and collective support to root out this canker”. 

GAUA demands action

Meanwhile, the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) has joined the growing list of groups and associations demanding an end to the unbridled destruction of the environment by small-scale miners, calling on the government, the regulatory bodies and metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to improve on their supervisory functions.

The university administrators said those granted mining licences, leases and concessions must insist on responsible mining practices and ban all forms of illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, to safeguard the nation's environment and livelihoods.

GAUA said the escalating illegal activity and prevalence of galamsey posed severe threats to the nation's environment, public health, and long-term economic prospects.
“Irresponsible mining and galamsey have reached a critical point, wreaking havoc on Ghana's water bodies, forests, and arable lands,” a statement signed by the National

President, Michael Owusu Ansah, and the General Secretary, Augustine Amissare, said.

The association said the consequences of the destructive activity were well-documented, and had far-reaching implications for our country.

Impact

GAUA said water supply to most  tertiary institutions had been disrupted, with some campuses going for several weeks without running water, directly affecting educational institutions and their students, thus lending credence to the Ghana Water Company’s announcement of losing 50 per cent of treated water.

“Academic activities as well as our university health facilities risk deterioration due to the lack of potable water,” GAUA stated, citing other serious implications for students and staff working in such conditions with contaminated water and a lack of potable water. 

GAUA's demands

The university administrators, therefore, demanded responsible mining practices by those given mining licences and a ban on all forms of illegal mining.

“We strongly condemn the lukewarm response of state agencies tasked with combating this menace. The law should bite every person involved in reckless and irresponsible mining practices irrespective of status, political affiliation, nationality or ethnicity,” GAUA stated.

The association urged the government to prioritise the common good of the people of Ghana, and take swift action to protect the environment and ensure a sustainable future for all.