President John Dramani Mahama has rallied traditional leaders across the country to join forces with the government in its ongoing crusade against illegal mining, locally termed galamsey.
Addressing members of the Western North Regional House of Chiefs during a courtesy call at the Presidency to discuss regional growth, infrastructure, and economic development, the President stressed that law enforcement alone cannot solve the problem. He maintained that strict enforcement measures must go hand in hand with viable alternative livelihood programmes for affected communities.
Highlighting the pivotal position of traditional authorities, President Mahama noted that their involvement is vital to driving lasting change due to their direct connection with local residents and their standing in communities where illegal mining remains widespread.
He called for deeper collaboration between government agencies, security forces, and traditional rulers to tackle the severe environmental degradation and security threats linked to illicit mining.
Although officers from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) are working tirelessly to curb the destruction, the President expressed concern over recurring resistance from local residents—and in some instances, traditional authorities—during field operations. He warned that such confrontations jeopardise the crackdown and risk escalating into violence.
Highlighting the gravity of these encounters, President Mahama stated:
“We need the help of our chiefs in the fight against galamsey because you live in the community with the people, and sometimes NAIMOS is doing a good job, but sometimes we go into some communities and the youth and the traditional authorities and everybody fight back at NAIMOS.
“There are incidents where the soldiers have had to discharge firearms, which resulted in a few deaths. We want to avoid that, and so if we can get the collaboration of our chiefs to help in the fight against illegal mining, especially in our forest reserves and in our water bodies.”
Beyond environmental interventions, President Mahama outlined his administration’s New Economic Policy.
The strategy targets nine key priority sectors with an estimated annual investment of US$2 billion over a five-year period. He added that the construction industry will play a pivotal role in driving job creation and unlocking broader economic opportunities across the country.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
