Lands Minister courts chiefs’ support in galamsey fight

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has reiterated his commitment to ensure that illegal mining and land degradation are tackled without fear or favour in all the affected regions.

He said wrong must not continue just to satisfy the greed of some few selfish people while their actions posed a threat to life and the future of the country.

The minister, who was interacting with chiefs of the Western Region House of Chiefs, therefore, appealed to chiefs and the people of Ghana to join the fight on the front to make it a fruitful enterprise.

“We have to win this fight and ensure that our forest and water bodies return to blue and the forests are green again.

The fight is a national call to duty and must be transparent, protecting the paramount interest of the state, devoid of political colouration, fear or intimidation.

What is illegal is illegal and must be stopped; it is a fight for our life and the future,” Mr Buah stressed.

He added, however, that “if we are to succeed in the fight against illegal mining and the ongoing environmental degradation, we must involve our traditional leaders to spearhead the fight.”

“The fight against galamsey must be led by our chiefs and traditional authorities in every nook and cranny of this country. It is important to note that the President has been very consistent in his resolve against galamsey and does not intend to shield anyone engaging in the act and he has emphasised this with the recent directive on the arrest and prosecution of anyone caught engaging in illegal mining activities”, he stressed.

Mr Buah said, “God has been gracious to the region and blessed us with an abundance of precious minerals, rich vegetation and peace-loving people and these must not be sacrificed on the altar of greed and self-interest.”

The minister said the good people of the Western Region were looking up to the revered chiefs and queenmothers for exemplary leadership, particularly in the fight against illegalities that destroyed the precious gifts God had bestowed on the region.

The Lands and Natural Resources Minister, therefore, implored the traditional leaders to present a united front and lead the fight to make the region the shining star of the country.

“Your unity is not just a strength but a necessity to preserve the legacy of this land for future generations,” he stated.
 

Stop the bleeding 

At his swearing-in, President John Dramani Mahama charged Mr Buah to drive a campaign to "Heal Ghana" and "stop the bleeding" that galamsey and other illegalities were causing the environment (lands, forests and water bodies).

The policies

Mr Buah also assured the chiefs that from the government’s Reset Agenda, many policy options and interventions had been outlined to help sanitise the mining sector, particularly the small-scale mining sub-sector.

“We want to ensure that mining operations are not conducted in unapproved areas, such as water bodies, and that the concession holders rehabilitate impacted areas,” he stated.

The measures include the establishment of the Artisanal Small-Scale Mining Cooperatives (ASMCs) for community members interested in artisanal small-scale mining, and the setting up of the Ghana Gold Board (GOLDBOD) to regulate and restructure the small-scale mining sector. 

Chiefs respond

In response, members of the Regional House of Chiefs, led by its President, Nana Kobina Nketsia V, said the traditional authorities were ready and willing to support the fight to ensure that the minister succeeded.

The fight against illegal mining activities, he stated, posed an existential threat and must not be allowed to continue, declaring “The chiefs will support you to succeed.”

The members also called for more powers to enable them to deal with situations and that in most cases when people were invited, they did not respect their authority.

They gave an example of a chief who arrested illegal miners but rather ended up in trouble.

The chiefs again called for a ban on the importation and manufacture of chanfan machines, and the movement of barrels and other equipment used by illegal miners to mining areas.

“We in the House of Chiefs are very happy with your new portfolio as the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, and we are urging you, our son, to walk well and bring us more honour.

The ministry is deep and heavy, we will support you every step of the way,” the chiefs assured the minister.