Engage local committees to help solve the galamsey challenges – chairman Abeiku to gov’t.
Chairman for the Akyem Ankaase Jadem Town Planning Committee (AAJTDC) in the Atiwa East District of the Eastern Region, Mr. Daniel Ansah popularly known as Chairman Abeiku has observed that the only best way that can help government to curb the challenges confronting the country on the illegal mining menace would be an efforts from the authorities to engage local committees to monitor and supervise the functions of the activities of the galamsey operators to do the right thing.
Chairman Abeiku reiterated that if government set up a local committees members through the traditional authorities and gives them attractive monthly salaries, such Committees can work effectively to stop cases where the river bodies in the country are polluted and destroyed by the activities of the illegal gold miners.
Speaking to the correspondent in an interview, Chairman Abeiku expressed worry about the rising trend in which illegal mining activities have been destroying all the water bodies including our forest resources in the country despite government efforts to solve the challenges.
Abeiku noted that the mining activities especially the community ones have come to stay to provide job avenues for the youth, proper attention is needed to ensure that our water bodies and forest reserves are protected.
He said government attempts to employ security operatives to combat galamseyers from the various mining communities are though laudable, such measures alone cannot solve the problems of illegal mining in the society.
He described the security presence at the galamsey sites as a shortlived exercise, explaining that the securitymen will only go to the sites for a short exercise and return to their stations, but the illegal miners would continue to mine after the exit of the security personnels.
Chairman Abeiku stated that it is against this background hence he suggests that government should lawfully engage the services of the local Committee members and charge them with the responsibilities for monitoring and supervising the activities of the small scale miners in the communities to be law abiding about their activities.
Abeiku noted that his suggestion would effectively work to help government to protect both the water bodies and forest reserves if it is considered, insisting that since the local people are always available they can apply government directives to discourage any elements that could venture to operate illegal mining in the mining sites across the country.
A tactical approach to stop the galamseyers would be the best option to halt the illegal mining in the country, Chairman Abeiku pointed out, and asked if the illegal mining activities have been stopped following the arrest and imprisonment terms slapped on the offenders.
People within the mining communities are the same the people who can discourage the illegal mining activities if government gives them the full mandate to act but not the security operatives whose times are limited at the illegal mining points in the country, Chairman Abeiku asserted.
