Even before government takes action ahead of the expiration of its three-week ultimatum to illegal miners to cease their activities, some miners in the Western Region have voluntarily turned in their excavators.
According to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, government has so far received over 70 excavators.
Speaking to Citi News, Mr, Amewu said this was an indication that the campaign against illegal mining across the country was yielding results.
“The advocacy is going on well nationally on mediums like your outfit [Citi FM] which have been campaigning since before we started, so collectively, we are all doing well as a country. We are still sending signals to people that it is not right, and they need to mine in a more sustainable way for the environment and that is what we have been doing so far.”
“We have seen a huge number of withdrawals from some of the illegal miners. In the Western Region, about 75 excavators have so far been captured, and these things have been going on all over the country,” the minister revealed.
His statement on the matter comes with about a week left of the three-week ultimatum to all illegal miners, to stop their activities or face the full force of the law.
The Minister has also hinted of a comprehensive strategy to tackle the menace and implement punitive measures to ensure that all illegal miners are dealt with.
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By: Kojo Agyeman/citifmonline.com/Ghana