The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has reaffirmed government’s commitment to fighting illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, with integrity and determination.
Mr Buah said he was prepared to remain committed to the fight even in the face of pressure and powerful interests benefiting from illegal mining.
“I would choose to fight with integrity and die than be corrupted in this dangerous work that will destroy all of us.”
The Minister made the remarks after undertaking a 16-kilometre journey on the Ankobra River on Thursday as part of his working visit to illegal mining sites in the Western Region.
He said government would not relent in its efforts to rid the country’s water bodies and forests of illegal mining activities.
“We are going to continue. We will not waver, we will not stop,” he stated.
Government targets financiers of illegal mining
Mr Buah said the government’s next phase of the anti-galamsey campaign would focus on identifying and prosecuting the financiers and sponsors behind illegal mining operations.
According to him, the destruction and seizure of excavators and other mining equipment were only part of the broader effort to dismantle the networks supporting illegal mining.
“The machines we’ve destroyed, the excavators we’ve seized, those behind them are powerful forces hiding in the dark. Our next phase is continuing to fish them out,” he said.
He added that government would continue pursuing “those sponsors, those financiers” until the fight against illegal mining was won.
Ankobra River shows progress
The Minister commended personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and the Navy Special Forces for their work under Operation Water Shield.
He said the situation on the Ankobra River had improved significantly compared with previous years.
“If you had visited the Ankobra in the last one year, the whole river was basically a workshop where changfan machines were being manufactured left and right,” he said.
Mr Buah noted that the river had now been cleared of changfan machines and other makeshift mining equipment along the areas covered by the operation.
He disclosed that nearly 3,000 machines had been cleared from the Ankobra, Offin and other rivers, while more than 237 arrests had been made, including 144 foreign nationals.
He said the figures demonstrated a shift from sporadic raids to more intelligence-led and permanent operations.
Minister rejects claims of no progress
Mr Buah dismissed criticisms that government was not making progress in the fight against illegal mining.
He said a comparison of the condition of the Ankobra River over the past year showed clear improvements.
“We have not gotten to the point where we want to see the river blue, but I think we’ve made great progress in clearing all the changfan machines and the thugs that were wielding guns,” he stated.
He said security personnel no longer encountered armed groups openly operating along the Ankobra, adding that illegal miners were increasingly aware of the consequences of confronting security forces.
Youth moving into responsible mining
The Minister also highlighted what he described as a positive change among some young people previously involved in illegal mining.
According to him, many have moved into cooperative and small-scale mining programmes, where they are being trained to mine without destroying water bodies and forests.
“You can look for gold without destroying our water bodies and forests. You can look for gold responsibly and sustainably,” he said.
Mr Buah maintained that the combination of enforcement, training and alternative approaches to small-scale mining was beginning to produce results.
He cited the Ankobra River as an example of what could be achieved through sustained interventions.
“Today, Ankobra is very clear and smooth, and we can sail without any obstruction. It is clear we are winning this fight,” he said.
The Minister, however, acknowledged that the fight remained challenging and called for continued commitment and integrity from all stakeholders involved in protecting Ghana’s natural resources.
