Sammy Gyamfi, speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning show as monitored by MyNewsGh, has highlighted both improvements and ongoing challenges in Ghana’s battle against illegal mining.
“You are right, but you are not wholly right because there is also data that shows, with regards to certain water bodies, NTU levels or turbidity levels have improved.
“That is why I say we must analyse this holistically,” Gyamfi said, providing figures from the Water Resources Commission.
Gyamfi stressed that addressing illegal mining is a long-term challenge.
“You cannot fix an age-long problem in eight months.
“In eight years, you saw how a government deliberately promoted galamsey. Our social contract with the people of Ghana is a four-year social contract.
“We deserve the opportunity to fix the problem within the four years we’ve been given,” he said.
He also pointed to policy changes implemented under the current government.
“Under the old regime, it was lawful for people to be given licenses to go and mine in forest reserves.
Today, that has been cancelled. In eight months, not a single license has been given to anybody to go and engage in mining in the forest reserve,” Gyamfi concluded, emphasising the administration’s commitment to curbing illegal mining.
