President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced the setting up of a Committee to look at alternative livelihoods for persons who will be affected in the government’s campaign to halt illegal mining also known as galamsey in the country.
The Committee which is chaired by Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, is expected to ensure the complete cessation of activities of the illegal miners.
The committee, he added, will also implement to the letter government’s strategy on combating the illegal mining menace.
[contextly_sidebar id=”7Ime68OHGKakc6WOwkJuIqDw2Uvnl5On”]Analysts have predicted that if galamsey is not stopped, Ghana may soon be importing water because activities of illegal mining are polluting water bodies as well as farm lands.
It is on the back of this that government has waged war on galamseyers.
Addressing Ghanaian residents in Guinea as part of his tour of that country, the President said affected persons will not be left unattended to.
60% of our water bodies in Ghana we are told have been polluted by mining activities. That is completely unacceptable. I made a decision that if God willing I was to win the election, I was going to make the fight against galamsey one of my priorities. And we are doing it. A whole cabinet committee has been established headed by a well eminent scientist and technologist, Prof. Frimpong Boateng.”
Akufo-Addo added that one of the committee’s mandate is to recommend “alternative sources of livelihood for the people who are involved in this [galamsey] activity.”
“We want people to respect the laws of our country and make sure that our environment does not suffer from mining and that is what we are going to do.
Meanwhile the President has left Guinea and is currently in Cape Verde. He is expected to return to Ghana on Sunday.
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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin