The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has renewed its call for members of the Association of Small-Scale Miners to take a leading role in the fight against illegal mining, which is polluting water bodies and destroying forest reserves.
The ministry noted that the actions of a few unlicensed miners operating in rivers have cast a negative light on the entire small-scale mining sector.
This has intensified public pressure for a government-imposed blanket ban on small-scale mining—an outcome the ministry warns could have serious consequences for the economy.
“I want to announce for all Ghanaians to know that God has blessed us as a country with gold and minerals so we will ensure that it’s mined responsibly with all rules and regulations applied, expatriates are not the only ones who should mine our gold but equally Ghanaians can also do same.
“So I am pleading with you all to assist the government to flush out and get rid of all those mining in water bodies and after we can do that we will see if any individual or group of persons will get the courage to tell the government to ban small scale mining in the country, that will not happen today nor tomorrow”.
“We will get rid of all those polluting water bodies and help those with licences to do the work responsibly for you to make meaningful income to take care of your families and the country as a whole.
The New Patriotic Party NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Akwatia Constituency Ernest Kumi outlining the socio-economic impact of small-scale mining in the area noted how several Ghanaians will be negatively affected if the government heeds to calls for a blanket ban on the sector.
“Mining is just like teaching and can also be linked to other professionals like doctors, we have all heard about fake teachers, fake doctors and what have you, similarly we also have miners who are not carrying out their activities in a responsible manner and same can be said about other professions with advantages and disadvantages so if you identify challenges or disadvantages in a sector you only apply wisdom to deal with it and correct it but people do not want to discuss how to deal with the negatives in the sector and are rather calling for its ban”.
Some leaders of the group who took turns expressed gratitude to Mr. Duker for the assurance, resilience and support to the sector and promised to take up the responsibility to get rid of the illegal miners.
“If they are calling for a blanket ban on mining then we will send this signal to them that it is a bad call because personally, I have employed close to 2000 workers directly and indirectly. As we are approaching Christmas armed robbery would have been on the rise if it wasn’t for mining, mining is the only sector that employs over 5 million Ghanaians so if people call for a ban what kind of work do they expect these 5 million people to go in for”.
Ahafo Nkosuohene also added: “If someone tells you mining is bad that fellow is a liar, today as a chief if these issues on banning mining are raging on and my subjects are jobless I will tell all Ghanaians that is a good venture but we need to do it responsibly”.
