The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations (NAIMOS) Task Force has proposed a significant shift in its strategy to combat illicit mining, advocating for the arrest and prosecution of the financial backers behind these operations.
Colonel Dominic Buah, Director of Operations for NAIMOS, highlighted this strategic pivot, noting that while previous efforts focused on arresting miners working at the sites, the time has come to target those who fund the activities.
Colonel Buah made this call while providing an update at a meeting hosted by President John Dramani Mahama with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and religious leaders on the issue of illegal mining.
He stated unequivocally that NAIMOS will adopt a ruthless stance against illegal miners, particularly those responsible for the destruction of the nation’s water bodies and forest reserves.
Colonel Buah labelled the financiers as “enemies of the state”, warning that NAIMOS would pursue them regardless of their hiding place.
“The financiers should know that they are the first or prime enemies of the state and will be dealt with as such,” he stressed. “There will be no room for them to escape or to hide. NAIMOS will ‘smoke them out’ very soon. There is no resting place for them.”
He concluded with an assurance: “They [financiers] should get ready and be assured that very soon our waters will turn blue and our forests green.”
Operations and Future Deployment
The senior military officer assured Ghanaians that NAIMOS is firmly on the ground and committed to dealing ruthlessly with illegal mining. He also disclosed that a significant amount of weaponry has been seized from these illegal mining areas.
Furthermore, he reported that, in collaboration with the Police, Armed Forces, and other security agencies, the Task Force has already seized approximately 450 excavators and destroyed several changfan machines.
Regarding future operations, Colonel Buah stated, “There is a lot more to come. NAIMOS is going to deploy fully and firmly across the length and breadth of the country,” adding that they will operate 24 hours every day.
He concluded by justifying the intensified approach: “We will be ruthless because they are environmental terrorists and must be treated as such.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana