The Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners has stated that close collaboration, monitoring and enforcement between the Minerals Commission and community mining committees is a key approach to ending the activities of illegal miners, locally known as galamsey.
According to the association, the style of chasing illegal miners with the military over the years has proven not to yield the necessary results required but has only increased abandoned mining pits left uncovered by these illegal miners who return to sites after the military moves back to Accra.
Speaking at an engagement with members of the association at Tarkwa in the Western region, the General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners Godwin Armah said illegal mining activities will not thrive with the community enforcement approach.
“There is no way an illegal miner will prevail when community members are organised to manage mining in their jurisdiction. There should be committees formed, which consist of traditional leaders, religious leaders, reps from the youth and the small-scale miners and with support from the Minerals Commission and the district mining committee to manage and monitor the activities of mining in these communities where illegal mining is taking place. EPA is also involved in this process.
“With this process, the mineral commission will let the committee know the number of concessions that are given out in their communities and these will champion the way they work and ensure that reclamation and all that are done,” he stated.
The Association also mentioned corruption by some security personnel, political interference and some Ghanaians fronting foreigners has been some of the major challenges in the galamsey fight.
“We have some Ghanaians who are fronting for foreigners to operate in the sector. We also have political interference and then corruption. Some of our security personnel are so corrupt that when we arrest these people and you take them to their places, they don’t take any immediate action,” he added.
