Environmental advocacy group, A Rocha Ghana, is urging the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to fast-track the prosecution of over 1,300 individuals arrested through a nationwide anti-galamsey crackdown.
Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News on Wednesday, July 23, Deputy Director of A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bossu, welcomed the minister’s update on the fight against illegal mining but urged government to back the gains with swift and decisive legal action.
“It was good to hear the Honourable Minister for Lands give an update on what is happening in terms of the fight against galamsey. If you look at what they inherited and the level at which it has been going on, I would say these are early days yet.
“They say they have been on the ground, put men on the game, seized a lot of equipment, and repossessed nine forests and others. To that extent, I would say some very good steps have been taken, but it is still early days yet, and there is still more work to be done,” he said.
He emphasised that the focus must now shift to follow-through, especially regarding legal consequences for those involved in illegal mining activities.
“Right now, what is needed is that we need to wrap up actions and ensure that there are prosecutions for the people arrested,” Bossu stressed.
His comments follow a sector update by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, who revealed that over 1,300 arrests have been made and 425 excavators and other mining equipment seized as part of the government’s renewed offensive against illegal mining.
Addressing the press on Wednesday, July 23, the Minister described the campaign as a nationwide crackdown, reporting that ongoing prosecutions were “progressing steadily.”
He credited the Forestry Commission for playing a vital role in the success of the operation, citing its involvement in the seizure of 177 excavators, 4 bulldozers, 12 vehicles, 43 motorbikes, 155 pumping machines, 185 chamfan machines, 15 gold detectors, and 10 heavy-duty generators.
