The presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has announced that he will involve traditional leaders in the process of granting mining licenses if he is elected as the next president.
According to the former president, it would be prudent to include traditional leaders in the process since it would help in resolving the destruction often caused by the activities of illegal miners, popularly known as galamsey across the country.
He disclosed this at the 3rd Annual Transformational Dialogue on Small-scale Mining at the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) in Sunyani.
He stated that illegal mining activities have caused several damages to our economy across all sectors.
He also promised to ban mining in water bodies and restrict the issuance of permits in forests.
“One of the impacts of illegal mining, including galamsey, has been the destruction of forests and cocoa farms. We will protect the destruction of cocoa farms for mining and effectively ban the issuance of entry permits into forests. Mining in water bodies will be outrightly prohibited.
“Recognising the invaluable role of traditional leaders in our society and as a testament to our commitment to inclusivity and respect for all stakeholders, I intend to have traditional leaders included in the crucial process of granting mining licences in their communities.”
He emphasized the need to “strengthen regulatory institutions such as the Minerals Commission, the EPA, the Geological Survey Authority, and the Natural Resources Universities” to effectively and efficiently approach the fight against galamsey.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
