According to the Association of Small Scale Miners, the fight against illegal mining, also known as galamsey, has become difficult because it is now a bread-and-butter issue.
He stated that because many of the illegal miners are unemployed and hungry, they have decided to engage in illegal mining as a means of survival, despite the dangers and negative impacts on our water bodies.
Godwin Armah, the Association’s General Secretary, stated on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm that we must fight galamsey at the community level.
He added that there is a political aspect to the fight because politicians exploit the situation and make promises in order to gain political power.
He stated that as an election approaches, the fight against the galamsey takes a dive.
”Fighting galamsey has a political line, I’ve realized over the years. Every year leading up to an election, the fight is put on hold, and we begin again after the election. This has made the battle more difficult. However, this should not deter us from fighting the galamsey.
We must stop politicizing the issue and instead be bold and courageous in our fight against the galamsey. In dealing with galamsey, the President must be bold and support his appointees. There is no political will. We lack political will, and this is true of all of our presidents. If we do not address the problem, we will suffer.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
