The Managing Director of the State Transport Corporation (STC), Nana Akomea, has called on the government and other relevant authorities to devise new methods and strategies to help eradicate illegal mining (galamsey).
Speaking on Newsfile, on JoyNews, he noted that this is because all other measures including the establishment of task forces among others have failed to present the needed results.
He told the host Samson Lardy Anyenini that “some people have suggested that every area in this country falls under the jurisdiction of a DCE or an MCE. That’s the closest government structure to the ground. So, make the district police commander, the district chief executive or MCE directly responsible so that if evidence of galamsey is found, immediately, you know…and put it there as one of their KPIs, that for me is new thinking.”
Nana Akomea stated that this will make the MCEs and DCEs proactive in detecting galamsey and help resolve them in their respective areas.
On occasions where law enforcement agencies’ actions might contradict that of the DCEs, Nana Akomea suggested that they should “report the conduct to the highest level and to the nation because we can’t keep doing it the way we’ve been doing it.”
“So if you, the DCE, are made responsible, you shouldn’t be allowed to use the police as an excuse,” he added.
Although President Akufo-Addo put his presidency on the line to end the ‘galamsey’ menace, the destruction of water bodies and the country’s forest reserves in search of gold continues in many parts of the country.
The government task-force that was set up to end the menace has now hanged its boots, after the national fight was embroiled in several controversies such as the disappearance of seized excavators and bribery and corruption among others.
Tests conducted on ten major rivers across the country have revealed high levels of dangerous heavy metals.
The Oda, Ankobra, Tano, Offin and six others presented dangerous levels of Lead, Arsenic, Chromium and Cadmium.
Scientists say swimming or using these waters for farming presents a major health risk. Almost all major rivers and streams nationwide are highly polluted by irresponsible mining.
While many have called on the government to boldly deal with the canker by arresting the real financiers and perpetrators of the act believed to be politically exposed persons, the state claims there is no hard evidence to nail the ‘so-called big fishes’.
Meanwhile, Nana Akomea believes that apart from new measures, the country needs a united front in dealing with galamsey explaining that if people undermine the efforts put in to curb the menace, galamsey will continue to grow.
He stated that “in this country, mining in forest reserves is allowed. I am against it. But it’s allowed. You see, so those are some of the things that we should be looking at going forward.”
“Because when you say this is a forest reserve, it means that the people who own that land, they cannot go in and farm even cassava. It’s a reserve. It’s restricted. They can’t go in and farm for yam. So how do you allow miners to go in when people can’t go in and farm cassava?”
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