Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA), Dr Frederick Appoh, has revealed that persistent efforts to stop illegal mining activities along the country’s railway lines have yielded little success.
Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Monday, following the circulation of viral footage showing sections of railway lines destroyed by illegal miners in Tarkwa, Dr Appoh explained that the situation has become increasingly difficult because some of the miners operate with weapons.
“I have personally been there, these guys are heavily armed along the corridor, so when we went there we managed to approach some of them but they ran away.”
Read also: Galamsey activities wreck abandoned Bonsawere railway line in Tarkwa
The CEO disclosed that each time the illegal miners are evicted from the sites, they return under the cover of darkness to continue their activities.
“The issue here is that these people can operate at any time. So, for example, if you go in the daytime, they will wait for you to leave, and at night, they will come back. Personally, when I went there in May, we tried to protect the lines during the daytime; they ran away when they saw us. The moment we move our vehicles, they come back,” he lamented.
According to him, several reports have been lodged with the police, leading to a number of arrests, but the problem remains unresolved.
“In some cases yes and in some cases, we dont get arrest at all. The thing is that, they know how the police moves and they have intelligence along the routes,” he said when asked if his reports to police ever yielded a result.
Dr Appoh called for a coordinated security response to tackle the menace, urging communities along the railway corridors to support the Authority by providing timely information that could help curb the illegal activities.
“This requires a joint efforts. At the same time, we need the support of the communities,” he emphasised.
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