Akufo-Addo orders police and military deployment to crackdown on galamsey

President Akufo Addo has ordered the deployment of the police and the military to crack down on illegal small-scale mining as calls grow for action.

The decision was taken after a national security meeting to assess the impact of galamsey on river bodies and the environment.

Organised Labour on Wednesday, issued a stern warning to the government, threatening a nationwide strike by the end of September if decisive action is not taken to address the escalating galamsey crisis.

Other groups including religious leaders have voiced the same sentiments.

Speaking at a media engagement last night, the Lands And Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor said the President has also directed the decommissioning of illegal mining equipment if necessary.

“The various Regional Security Councils have been tasked to conduct recording sounds and scrutiny of their various areas and begin to roll out swoops and enhance the enforcement regime. So in the days and weeks to come, we will see the heightened and rampant enforcement.

“The Ghana Police Service at various RESECs will be the first point of call, if the need arises we will take it a step further by including the Ghana Armed Forces and when the need arises, we will possibly begin the extraordinary measure of decommissioning equipment used for illegal small scale mining,” he stated.

Conversations on galamsey and its dire impact arose after the management of Ghana Water Company Limited in the Central Region announced that there would be challenges with water supply in Cape Coast, Elmina, and surrounding communities.

The company revealed that the recent demand-supply gap is due to inadequate raw water received at the Sekyere Hemang Water Treatment Plant (WTP) caused by galamsey activities.

Environmental groups, civil society organisations, and concerned citizens have since voiced their frustrations over the lack of significant progress in curbing galamsey activities, which have resulted in the contamination of rivers, destruction of farmlands, and loss of livelihoods for many Ghanaians.