Listen to article
President Akufo-Addo seems to hold contrary view regarding the fight against illegal mining activities in the country commonly known as galamsey.
He said Operation Vanguard’s work in fighting illegal mining has chalked a lot of successes, indicating that his government, unlike the Mahama administration which “gave up” on the fight against galamsey, has been able to make inroads.
Delivering his fourth State of the Nation Address to Parliament on Thursday, 20th February, the President said the anti-galamsey taskforce comprising police and military personnel, “has been largely successful, even though problems still remain”.
He stated, “Mining with impunity in water bodies in forest reserves has declined, over 4,000 miners have received training in sustainable mining, [and] the number of individuals dying in mining tunnels and pits in the few unauthorised locations left has reduced by more than 90 per cent”.
He continued, “Operation Vanguard has been particularly effective in helping to restore the order, which has permitted the re-opening of the famous Obuasi mine of AngloGold Ashanti”, adding: “The community mining programme has been well-received by the population”, noting that “young men and women, who do not have the resources to acquire concessions and excavators and other mining inputs and, therefore, have to do galamsey, have moved into legal community mining”.
“Now, 20,000 individuals are earning their income legitimately in the community mines in Akrofuom, Atwima Nwabiagya, Atwima Mponua, Adansi North, Amansi Central, Wassa Amenfi East and Wassa East Districts.
“Since the introduction of the community mining programme, there have been no deaths due to the collapse of tunnels and pits”, the President added.
According to Akufo-Addo, “When we came into office in January 2017, galamsey activities were rampant in many parts of our country, our lands, forests and river bodies were being systematically degraded and polluted without any care and this had been the case for several years, and, indeed, the previous NDC administration had given up the fight against galamsey”.
He continued, “We determined that this was an intolerable situation and we owed to generations yet-unborn to tackle the problem and save our environment. I was very much aware that the lure of gold, once it takes hold, drives away all rationality; that is not a Ghanaian characteristic, it is a human characteristic … I was, therefore, not under any illusion about the size and scope of the problem we were taking on.
“As I’ve said on countless occasions”, the President noted, “The […]