The Eastern Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Felix Okyere Addo has lamented the financial and human resource constraints confronting his outfit.
Speaking at a meeting between the Eastern Regional Security Council, the anti-galamsey task-force Operation Vanguard, and other stakeholders, he called on the government equip the EPA for them to effectively carry out their duties.
“…I must say my outfit is inadequately resourced, we do not have money, we do not have logistics and our staff strength is very weak,” he said.
“I only have six senior officers who are working to monitor the 26 districts we have here in the Eastern Region and I must say it has been very challenging so I will be very happy if something is done about it because we are very supportive of our course to deliver effectively.”
Also at the meeting, a member of the Council of State, Paa Kofi Ansong is called for the strengthening of all regulatory bodies to complement the activities of Operation Vanguard in the fight illegal mining.
Paa Kofi Ansong challenged regulatory agencies to work assiduously to help the efforts of Operation Vanguard to bring the activities of illegal mining to a complete halt, he said
“We have all the institutions who are mandated to regulate the activities of both illegal and legal mining in place but yet still the menace is happening, it is all about survival and the echo system therefore it is incumbent on all of us to acknowledge that ones we lose the fight against illegal mining then we are losing our lives, it is not for the galamsey people or minerals commission but for us all.”
Mr.Ansong also urged the heads of the regulatory authorities to report their constraints to the minister and government for them to be adequately resourced to carry out their mandate.
“If you have lapses please inform us, if you need resources, if you are understaffed we beg of you to inform us so that we address them for you to enable you to do your job effectively because nobody will win this fight because you are mandated to regulate what ever activity in the country so if we do our work very well there will be no need to worry our military to do what is expected of us.”
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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana