The Concerned Small Scale Miners Association has lauded President Akufo-Addo’s call for an open discussion on illegal small-scale mining, widely known as galamsey in the country,
According to the Association, they earlier anticipated that government’s use of the military in the fight against galamsey wouldn’t work out since the same strategy was used in 1989, 2000 and 2012 and got virtually no results.
In an interview with Citi News, the President of the Concerned Small Scale Miners Association, Michael Kojo Peprah, indicated that, “In the beginning, we told them that all these things about bringing the military will not help. In 1989, they brought the military it failed, 2000, 2012 it all failed. So when do we always do the same things and expect a different result?”
He continued that government's admission to the fact that mining has been in existence for ages is a step in a right direction and that the Association is ready to help find a better solution to end illegal mining and its rippling effects on water bodies.
“What they have come to realize is that what we were saying is true. They should extend their hand, and we will all come and all the expertise and solutions we have, we will put it on paper and help mother Ghana, so the country will benefit from mining,” Mr Peprah added.
President Akufo-Addo while delivering his last State of the Nation Address (SONA) Tuesday, January 5, 2021, called all stakeholders in the mining industry to come together and have a dialogue on the impact of illegal mining on Ghana, as well as, come out with practical solutions to curb the menace.
“There is one subject…I believe we the people need to have an open conversation, and that is the phenomenon of galamsey. Should we allow or not allow galamsey?” President Akufo-Addo quizzed.
“We have to talk about galamsey. We who are leaders owe it to the country to take the subject out of the party-political area and have an honest conversation about this menace to our future,” he added.
Illegal miners at work (file photo)