The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) is cracking down on illegal river mining, with Operations Director Col. S.K. Appiah warning operators to evacuate water bodies immediately.
Col. Appiah made the declaration during a meeting with small-scale miners at Aowin in the Western North Region, emphasizing that mining within water sources remains entirely unlawful and will face strict enforcement regardless of any paperwork operators purport to hold.
‘If you’re mining in water bodies and you see us coming, run. Don’t bother showing us any documents, run,’ he warned.
The Operations Director clarified that while NAIMOS has established mechanisms to verify valid mining permissions and separate legitimate businesses from illicit operators, no authorization exists that permits mining within rivers and water bodies. He added that the Secretariat will persist with its nationwide operations to eradicate environmental destruction, concentrating heavily on protected forest reserves and water resources. The engagement forms part of NAIMOS’ wider stakeholder consultations under the state’s revived campaign against illegal mining, locally referred to as galamsey.
Meanwhile, the Paramount Chief of Aowin has expressed grave national security apprehensions regarding the sudden influx of foreign nationals, notably from Burkina Faso, who are settling in local forest zones under the pretext of farming and small-scale mining.
Addressing the illegal mining stakeholders’ gathering, the traditional ruler lamented that forests in Aowin have been overrun, resulting in the widespread devastation of water bodies, agricultural land, and forest reserves. He expressed skepticism regarding the true motives of the foreign migrants, cautioning that their presence could extend well beyond galamsey activities.
‘I’ve said our forests have been invaded, so they are destroying our natural resources, our water bodies, our forest, our lands. And now, what if all the people coming from Burkina Faso are not necessarily here for galamsey. What if they are using our forest as training grounds for insurgents, terrorists. We don’t know,’ he stated.
The chief detailed how numerous migrants assert they are travelling in transit to Ivory Coast, yet rather than crossing directly, they enter Ghana from the northern border, travel down to the south, bypass the Elubo border post, and gain entry through Enchi via unauthorized routes.
‘If you want to really go to the Ivory Coast, why don’t you enter that country from the north of Ghana or from the north of Burkina, but then you decide to actually enter Ghana, come all the way down south, you evade the Elubo border, you come to Enchi, you use unapproved routes and these buses were coming daily, sometimes as many as 50 people who are then let into our forest and we got some of them here, you ask them, we are coming to farm,’ he explained.
Highlighting the regional consequences, the Paramount Chief noted that the environmental damage in Aowin has already spilt over into neighbouring Ivory Coast, particularly affecting shared water systems such as the River Bia. He urged state authorities to take immediate and decisive measures before the security conditions deteriorate further.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
