The Western Regional Minister, Joseph Nelson, has called on residents of Samreboi to join efforts to combat illegal mining activities (galamsey) along the River Tano and River Samre to avert incidents of flooding
Speaking during a visit to affected communities where more than 1,340 residents have been displaced by recent floods, the minister expressed concern over the extent of destruction caused and suggested that years of illegal mining activities along the River Tano and River Samre may have worsened the disaster.
He said addressing the recurring flooding would require a collective effort, stressing that government action alone would not be enough to curb the menace.
“For the long-term solution, we will need everybody to come on board. It is not going to be the effort of government alone. Together we have to stand up against illegal mining especially on our river bodies. As we stand here you cannot even quantify the extent of damage in this community; property and even money. How do we avoid these things? We can only avoid them if we take a firm decision. That decision, government has already taken but we will need the support of everybody,” he said.
Mr. Nelson assured affected residents of government support as efforts continue to respond to the flooding crisis, but maintained that communities also have a responsibility to support measures aimed at protecting rivers and preventing future disasters.
He stressed that sustained public cooperation in the fight against illegal mining would be critical to safeguarding lives, property and livelihoods in flood-prone communities such as Samreboi. 
