Galamsey: Political bigwigs behind illegal miners won’t be spared - Amewu
Lands and Natural Resources Minister John Peter Amewu says political bigwigs who allegedly front for prospective investors to engage in illegal mining and destroy water bodies will not be spared.
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Giving the warning during a familiarisation tour of AngloGold Ashanti (AGA’s) mining site in Obuasi last Saturday, Mr Amewu said the days of rhetorics were over and that he had the full backing of President Nana Akufo-Addo to crack the whip irrespective of one's political colouration.
He said if mining in river beds was not stopped immediately, Ghana could be importing potable water by 2025.
As part of measures to stamp out the canker, the minister said, tracking devices, including drones, would be installed at strategic places in mining areas and along river beds to track the miscreants.
He said there were plans to develop other aspects of the enclaves and revive the mining sector as a whole for the survival of the country's economy.
Streamline operations
Mr Amewu urged the illegal miners to follow through measures by the government and the Minerals Commission to register and streamline their operations.
He said if they regularised their operations, the government, working in concert with the Minerals Commission, could allocate some areas to them to operate under strict rules to protect the environment.
The minister added that the ministry, in order not to deny Ghanaians the benefits of their natural resources, had a broad base policy to ensure that the mining industry was operated in a regulated and planned manner.
The Adanse Kusahene, Nana Kwaepinsen, said the chiefs were in full support of the minister's action plan because, according to him, the main culprits in the galamsey business were politicians.
He dared the minister to walk the talk and prove that he was different from the others to help save the country's drying and polluted water bodies.
Future of AGA
Meanwhile, AGA is considering three proposals from prospective investors to revamp the mining company and its final decision will be announced by the end of April.