Sam George calls for tougher action against Galamsey

Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has urged stronger and more decisive measures to address illegal mining, widely known as galamsey, citing its devastating effects on Ghana’s water bodies.

In an interview on Channel One TV, Mr George said he was deeply dissatisfied with the country’s current progress in the fight against the menace.

“Am I excited about where our country is with galamsey? Hell no, absolutely not. I think a lot more has to be done,” he stressed.

The minister, however, admitted that recent months had witnessed some improvement in the state’s response.

“Is work on the way? Certainly. We have seen more action in the last eight to nine months since Armah-Buah took office than we have seen in eight years,” he remarked.

Mr George also commended the partnership between Energy Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah and the late Dr Edward Omane Boamah, former Defence Minister, who spearheaded joint military operations to clamp down on illegal mining.

“There’s considerable work. God bless his soul, my big brother, Omane Boamah, was doing a lot of joint military operations with Armah-Buah in that regard.

We need to see decisive action to end galamsey. My views on galamsey have not changed,” he said.