Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has stated that the fight against illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey should not be viewed in terms of whether it is being won or not.
According to him, what is more, important is the government’s commitment to wage war on illicit activity by providing industry players with mercury-free gold mining equipment as well as prosecuting galamseyers.
On President Akufo-Addo’s commitment to put his presidency on the line to fight galamsey, the minister explained that the president meant he will do everything within his means to combat the menace.
He mentioned, however, that the president’s quest to put an end to galamsey cost him some votes in mining communities in the 2020 general elections.
“I don’t want to even put my mind in that frame. It’s like asking when will you win the battle against armed robbery. No, you cannot look at it from the point of view of winning or losing a battle.
“When the president says he’s putting his presidency on the line, it simply means he will do whatever he has to do, regardless of the political consequences, to ensure that that sector is sanitized.
“He paid a political consequence in 2020. He lost the mining constituencies in our country except for Tarkwa because he was seen to be fighting illegal small-scale mining, whereas, as he was doing that, other presidential candidates were telling miners that if they were voted into power, they will take them out of prison,” Abu Jinapor said in an interview with Accra-based Citi TV.
The issue of galamsey has become topical in recent weeks following the arrest of Chinese galamsey kingpin, Aisha Huang and a warning from the Ghana Water Company Limited that it will soon shut down operations in mining communities.
President Akufo-Addo in 2017 pledged to tackle galamsey even if it meant putting his presidency on the line.
In a recent interview with TV3 the former president, John Dramani Mahama called on Akufo-Addo to resign for failing in his galamsey fight.
“If we were in some other jurisdiction, he would have resigned by now. By his word, he put his presidency on the line,” he said.
Background
Aisha Huang was recently arrested for engaging in galamsey-related activities. She is reported to have entered the country via the Togo border after her deportation in 2018.
She appeared in court on September 14 together with three other accomplices to answer charges. The initial charges were mining without a valid license and engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals without a permit.
They pleaded not guilty and were remanded into police custody and set to reappear on September 27.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General last Friday, filed four new charges against Ms. Huang. The new charges are undertaking a mining operation without a license, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation, and the illegal employment of foreigners and entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry.
ghanaweb.com
