The move will ensure that small-scale mining is done in a responsible, environmentally-friendly and sustainable manner.

[contextly_sidebar id=”zijuQB9ufMiMxb1nWuKLmZAixlgIuvlX”]This was disclosed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the commissioning of the Secretariat for the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) at Cantonments in Acccra.

The Secretariat, situated at the Office of the President Annex, is also expected to enable the Committee to achieve its long-term objective of combating illegal small-scale mining, protecting the environment, and ensuring that mining in the country conforms to international standards, rules and regulations.

The Secretariat would be the nerve centre of anti-galamsey operations, and would serve as a means of executing the President’s agenda to end the degradation of the environment.

‘Operation Vanguard’, which is a flagship exercise by the IMCIM, to curb the degrading activities of galamsey operations, as well as all other interventions, also aims at regulating the artisanal gold mining sector and would be coordinated from that office.

President Akufo-Addo said he was “resolute and immutable” in his commitment to banish the spectre of galamsey “for our own common survival, and the survival of those who are to come.”

He was emphatic that “we would be jeopardizing both our present and our future”, if illegal small scale-mining went unchecked.

The President said government was entering a new era in its efforts to formalize the small scale mining industry, so as to achieve sustainable mining with sound environmental practices.

“In the weeks and months ahead, I expect to see optimal co-ordination amongst participating Ministries and the District Mining Committees, as well as close interaction with Operation Vanguard, small scale miners and the general public. I expect the Committee to receive regular reports from mining centres, so that illegal activities can be dealt with immediately,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo stressed that with the office for the Inter-Ministerial Committee in place, “there is going to be constant, close and effective monitoring and reporting of anti-galamsey activities, so that the right thing is done all the time.”

“This new phase will demonstrate our resilience and commitment to ensuring that our water bodies, land and forests, with their biodiversity, are not destroyed, ” he said.

The President urged the Small Scale Miners Association, from the national to the community level, to “help in self-regulation of activities of their members, and also ensure that no one engages in illegal activities, especially mining in our water bodies.”

He also commended the media for the patriotism it had exhibited in the fight against the galamsey menace, and urged it to intensify the campaign against illegal small-scale mining because “we must preserve our environment for posterity”.

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Source: GNA

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The convict, Augustine Afrifa, pleaded guilty to the charge of defilement and was sentenced on his own plea.

The Prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mrs. Juliana Essel-Dadzie, told the court that the victim lived with her grandmother in a farm cottage at Wasa Jedu, near Wassa Akropong, in the Amenfi East district.

ASP Essel-Dadzie said on September 8 this year, at about 1600 hours, the victim’s grandmother sent her to buy a polythene bag from the Wasa Jedua town.

She said when the victim got to Wassa Jedu township, she met Afrifa and he had some interactions with her, as he had lived with the victim and the grandmother before.

According to the Prosecutor, the convict bought a ‘Kalyppo’ drink for the victim and lured her into his rented room in the town, and had sex with her, after which he told the victim not to disclose the incident to anyone.

She said when the victim got home, she narrated her ordeal to her grandmother and parents, and they made a report at the Wassa Akropong police station and the convict was arrested.

ASP Essel-Dadzie said a police medical report received from Dr. Adom Boadi of Wasa Akropong government hospital indicated that the victim had deep bleeding with vaginal laceration and torn hymen.

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Source: GNA

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Police had said the protesters breached the public order act as some of them were seen to be carrying “offensive implements.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”37T9ROe30u2BFP5iqysdPFHrI06Dl7hT”]But speaking on Eyewitness News, a spokesperson for the small-scale miners, Francis Opoku, said the claim that there was some breach is quite unfortunate.

He said to the best of his knowledge, the protesting small-scale miners conducted themselves in “a perfect manner to the admiration of many.”

Mr. Opoku explained further that, protest technically did not come on as planned because, at the last minute, they were told by the demonstration could not come on.

“We were confined to a place, according to the information we gathered at the last minute. We were told, according to an order from above that we could not embark on the intended demonstration,” he recounted.

During this period, “I will tell you that none of our people were wielding anything deemed harmful,” Mr. Opoku reiterated.

Protest was still successful

Despite being constrained, Mr. Opoku described the small-scale miners’ protest as “the most successful intended demonstration.”

“We were able to communicate our issues and grievances to the people. What is the use of the demonstration; for the people to hear what we want to say and we have been able to communicate our information. And that is okay, whether we hit the streets or not.

The small-scale miners were protesting the continued ban on small-scale mining, insisting that the six-month duration has elapsed.

The government in April imposed the six-month ban on all forms of small scale mining activities as part of the fight against illegal mining.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Minister believes this is necessary until such a time that the country will be rid of all harm caused by those whose activities have led to the pollution of the environment.

“I think we all have a role to play in stopping illegal mining but a lot of the effort should be on the part of the ministry for lands and natural resources and EPA because they give the license and the permitting and therefore in our fight against illegal mining. We are strengthening the minerals commission to also beef up efforts to help the inspectorate division of the minerals commission because they have to insure the safety at mine site” he said.

The Minister’s caution also follows the halt in the issuance of licenses to small scale miners by the Ministry of Environment, Land and Natural Resources.

Speaking to Citi Business News, Professor Frimpong Boateng advised members of the EPA board to ensure permits are given only when mining activities do not cause harm to the environment.

“EPA gives permit and we also have to be sure that in the interim we stop giving permits so that we solve the current problems and then we can go ahead and when we have a new mining scheme, we can go ahead and do the licensing” he stated.

Be innovative in dealing with illegal mining – Dep. Env’t Minister

Deputy Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Patricia Appiagyei also tasked staff of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be innovative in their approach to tackling illegal mining.

She argued that issues facing the environment can only be dealt with efficiently if technology and innovation are effected in their approach in dealing with the challenges.

The Deputy Minister made the remarks during a working visit to the EPA.

She urged the Agency to take a critical look at its challenges and find new ways of addressing them.

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By: Jessica Ayorkor Aryee/citibuisinessnews.com/Ghana

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If they do return to mining sites, the security forces would be awaiting them, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Peter Amewu warned.

[contextly_sidebar id=”SUNjnmghbEaynsfhSsR88yvyDXko9vp7″]Some small-scale miners, in the period of government’s escalation of the war on galamsey, have complained they are being unfairly targeted.

Ahead of the Minister’s visit to some illegal mining sites and some forest reserves in the Ashanti region, the Ashanti Regional Chapter of the Association of Small-Scale Miners said it will demonstrate against the government over the ban on small-scale mining. The demonstration is dubbed: “All die be die”.

But speaking to journalists on the matter ahead of his three-day tour of the region, Mr. Amewu said if the miners returned to their sites, it would be at their own risk.

“I keep on saying that there is going to be a deployment of the law enforcement agencies; the Police the Army and the Airforce for a sustainable period – not less than one year, and that is going to come shortly. So if anybody dares to return to the site and it results in equipment being confiscated, that will be very unfortunate. That is why I have taken my time and explained issues to them and given timelines so they cease operations.”

Mr. Amewu added that “I gave another period of 30 days, which is coming to an end, to make sure they evacuate their equipment from the sites. All those timelines are to makes sure there are no excuses when people’s equipment is seized.”

The minister did not downplay the concerns of the miners, noting that he was going to dialogue with them on the best course of action to take on the matter.

“For the association, I am going to engage them. I am in Kumasi and I am going to be in the Ashanti Region for the coming three days and I will have time to engage them so that together, we will build a Ghana that is acceptable and a Ghana that everybody will want to mine in,” he said.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/Kojo Agyeman/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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“Small scale miners are against the six month moratorium for us to stop work and they are planning to go on a demonstration. We the leaders are holding them on, but how long can we hold them on. So please, for God’s sake, that six month moratorium is not a healthy thing,” the President of the National Association of Small Scale Miners, Nii Adjetey Mensah said on Wednesday.

There have been complaints about the adverse effects of small scale illegal mining also known as galamsey on water bodies and the environment in general.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Td77FfwL7vL8qukimFfJpnm1DAOlxFMk”]Some analysts have hinted that Ghana may soon import water if galamsey is not stopped now.

For this reason however as well as a media campaign against galamsey, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu in April 2017 ceased further issuance of new licenses to small scale miners in a bid to deal with the rising menace in the country.

He also directed owners of excavators to remove such earth moving equipment from mining areas or have them destroyed by government.

But speaking at a stakeholder’s forum organized by civil society group, WACAM in collaboration with Citi FM and Tropenbos Ghana, Nii Adjetey lamented that such move by government will cripple their businesses.

He explained that some of their members have gone for loans to expand their businesses hence they can’t bare the impact if government slaps them with such moratorium.

“A lot of miners have taken loan from the banks and they have to pay the banks. The fuel they use, they have to pay the OMCs. In mining, before one excavator moves to your site, you have to pay the owners 10 to 15 days ahead. So supposing you pay this amount and government stops you from mining how can you recoup your money? There are some families who are working on regularized small scale mining, and they take their livelihood from there. If you stop it how are they going to live? We are saying that don’t throw the baby and bathwater away,” he added.

The President of the Small Scale Miners also explained that in a bid to purge themselves, the association has formed a  task-force which has so far destroyed some equipment of those engaging in galamsey.

“The National Association of Small Scale Mining has set up task forces in the various regions. In the Western Region, we have taskforce in Prestea and Dunkwa, in the Eastern Region, we have some Enyinam. And they are destroying the boats the illegal miners are using on the water bodies. We are hoping that government will see our efforts to complement their work, but still they [government] are bent on issuing a six month moratorium. That is what we have a problem with,” he lamented.

The forum was held at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra on Wednesday on the theme: “Mobilizing national efforts for responsible mining.”

It brought together stakeholders within the sector, government agencies, civil society organisations as well as the media to discuss the way forward for stopping the menace of irresponsible mining in the country.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

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