The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has emphasised the critical role of the media in combating illegal mining (galamsey) in the country.
He said this at a media engagement on Monday in Accra to rally support to address the galamsey menace, particularly around water bodies and forest reserves.
Mr Buah provided an overview of the galamsey situation inherited by the government, stating that upon taking office, nine forest reserves had already fallen under the complete control of illegal miners.
He disclosed the alarming statistics on water pollution, noting that “turbidity levels in water treated by the Ghana Water Company Limited ranged between 5,000 and 12,000 NTU, more than 10 times the permissible point (500 NTU) for water treatment.
“The scale of land degradation was equally staggering, with illegal mining consuming an area equivalent to 7,500 football fields,” he added.
To eliminate illegal mining, the Minister outlined the government’s five-pronged approach, including enforcing existing laws through intensified crackdowns, restructuring monitoring teams to prevent complacency, engaging traditional leaders and local authorities in licensing, deploying real-time technology to track mining activities and raising public awareness to foster collective responsibility.
The Minister identified flaws in the current licensing system as a major enabler of illegal mining. He noted that the centralised process had sidelined traditional rulers and local government officials, weakening oversight.
To address this, the government is decentralising the licensing regime, ensuring that traditional authorities and District Security Councils become the first point of approval for mining permits.
Mr Buah urged the media to remain vocal and objective in the fight against galamsey, cautioning against politicising the issue.
