All illegal miners in the Upper East Region have been urged to register with their respective Municipal and District Assemblies for training in best mining practices.
This is in line with government’s road-map towards lifting the ban on all forms of small scale mining activities in the country.
The move according to the Inter-Ministerial committee on illegal mining will significantly reduce the negative impact of the menace on the environment and other sources of livelihood for Ghanaians.
The inter-ministerial committee made this known at Naaga in the Upper East Region during a three-day visit to the region to meet traditional rulers and illegal miners on government’s plan for lifting the ban.
The committee led by some officials of the Ministry for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, visited traditional councils where mining activities are carried out.
Secretary of the Committee, Charles Bissue, explained the rationale behind the intervention to Citi News.
“We are here to speak to those who are engaged in illegal mining because some of them are scared they will be arrested, but that is not the case. We are sensitizing them and making sure they go to the Tarkwa School of Mines to learn proper mining.
“We are asking them to submit their names to their respective district and municipal chief executives; the training is for one week, and its free of charge so that they will mine responsibly. After that, they will get insurance cover, identification cards and personal protective equipment so as to stop people dying in the pits.”
Some illegal miners who shared their ordeal on the effect of the ban on their livelihoods welcomed government’s quest to train them on responsible mining.
The miners were optimistic the training would ensure their mining activities does not negatively affect the environment and prevent needless deaths.
An illegal miner, Moro Azo-ngo,, said: “As government wants to train us to do proper mining, I am happy and will join so that we will do proper mining and not pollute the environment.”
“If the government wants to properly train us to correct the illegal mining practices that we were engaged in, we are happy and will join the training,” Atule Francis stated.
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By: Frederick Awuni |citinewsroom.com | Ghana
