The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah yesterday said illegal miners, or galamsey operators, should be viewed as “terrorists” who are actively endangering the lives of Ghanaians.
We can’t allow few people to make money at the expense of millions of Ghanaians and kill us, we must now begin to see them as dangerous terrorists who are killing us,” he said.
The Minister who was speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, April 3, emphasized the need for a collective effort to put an end to the devastating impact of illegal mining in the country.
The minister’s statement comes amid rising concerns about the environmental and social repercussions of galamsey, which has long been a significant issue in the country.
You cannot have a country where your water systems are so polluted that the turbidity levels are 5,000 to 12,000 when it should be 500, it means we are drinking poison,” he bemoaned.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to using all available resources to combat illegal mining activities that have been ravaging forests, water bodies, and farmlands across the country.
The Minister also added that the government is ready to welcome any small-scale miner through the right procedures.
Voice of Armah Kofi Buah
Meanwhile, The Convener of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, Ing. Kenneth Ashigbey, has Commended the Minister and the government for the bold steps they are taking but doesn’t know the reason the government cannot declare the state of emergency in these Forest reserves and these water bodies so the forest reserve that has turned something they can protect them more seriousness.
Voice of Kenneth Ashigbey
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