The National House of Chiefs has reiterated its call for the government to take far-reaching measures to comprehensively clamp down on the menace of illegal mining.
The House has also stressed the need for all stakeholders to be involved in the fight against illegal mining, devoid of politics.
The President of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, made the statement during a meeting in Kumasi, where officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were invited to brainstorm on finding lasting solutions to the issue.
The President of the National House of Chiefs used the occasion to highlight the significant role chiefs have to play in addressing illegal mining in Ghana.
“This meeting is long overdue, but it is better now than later because I strongly believe that if Nananom are included and empowered in the fight against galamsey, we can be assured of more effective results. Illegal mining has resulted in environmental degradation, including deforestation, pollution of water bodies and rivers, and soil erosion. Illegal miners also use toxic chemicals and heavy metals including cyanide, mercury, sulphuric acid, and lead, which have negative effects on individuals and must therefore be stopped.
Reacting to this, the Chief Executive Officer of the EPA, Henry Kwabena Kokofu, said since the approach of using the military to fight the canker has not been successful, collaborating with traditional authorities will be the game-changer.
“We do know that governments upon governments have taken steps over the years to initiate several policies and programs in an attempt to curb illegal mining including the use of the military and other security agencies, but it seems not to be getting results, so this encounter is to solicit the wisdom of nananom to help us deliver on what we are targeting in the fight against illegal mining.”
