We had everything we needed to fight Galamsey, but no one paid attention to it – Hon Nii Amasah Namoale

The ongoing issue of illegal mining (galamsey) continues to cast a long shadow over Ghana, particularly in light of the recent water shortages raised by the Ghana Water Company.

This challenge, which affects communities across the country, has been cause by unchecked mining activities that have polluted water bodies, making clean water increasingly scarce.

On Kessben Maakye, Mr. Nii Amasah Namoale, a prominent member of the NDC, voiced his concerns about the failure to curb galamsey and questioned why, despite widespread support, the fight against illegal mining has stagnated.

Reflecting on the government’s initial steps, Mr. Namoale expressed surprise at how things have unfolded, particularly after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo declared war on illegal mining.

“I was quite happy that all the media houses in Ghana decided to support him. So I’m surprised he couldn’t fight it, especially since he came out and put his job on the line. In a principled country, where the head of state or president speaks and it resonates with everyone, people would believe him, trusting that he would do what he promised. If he couldn’t deliver, he should have resigned by now,” he remarked.

Mr. Namoale indicated a misstep in the strategy to combat galamsey: the formation of a military unit called “Galamstop.”

He recalled raising concerns about this approach early on. “I said they were going about it the wrong way by forming a military group called ‘Galamstop.’ Those soldiers, after two or three months, would end up involving themselves in the illegal mining.

To me, it wasn’t necessary,” he pointed out. According to him, the initiative wasted valuable resources and time, only to yield the very result he had predicted

Ghana, he argued, already had all the necessary tools and policies to halt illegal mining. “We had everything we needed to stop illegal mining in our standard operating manuals. We had the resources at the various ministries, departments, and agencies.

We had all the policies in place, so there was no need for additional measures,” Mr. Namoale insisted. For him, the failure to act on these existing resources and policies is the root cause of the country’s continued struggles with galamsey.

In response to calls for more involvement from other government bodies, Mr. Namoale was quick to dismiss the idea that the Ministry of Defence had any authority over the situation. “I saw that Ato Forson asked the Minister of Defence to take action, but the defence minister has no authority over the galamsey sites,”

He noted, emphasizing that the real responsibility lay elsewhere, such as with the Forestry Commission, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, and the Forestry Department.

In these institutions, he explained, forest rangers are already empowered to take necessary actions to prevent environmental degradation, including the illegal cutting of trees in protected areas.

“In the Forestry Commission, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, and the Forestry Department, we have forest rangers here in Ghana who can even carry guns. These rangers are responsible for ensuring that no one cuts down trees in the forests, which we are fully aware of,” Mr. Namoale stated.

He also expressed the awareness and involvement of local authorities in every corner of Ghana when it comes to land use.

“In Ghana, every part of the land belongs to someone. If you try to build on it, someone will stop you. The assembly will demand a permit. So, no one in Ghana does anything without someone else being fully aware of it,” he said.

Underscoring the notion that illegal activities like galamsey are often conducted under the watchful eyes of those who should prevent them.

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Story by: Pepertual Anyimadu