
Member of Parliament for Wassa Amenfi East constituency in the Western Region , Hon. Nicholas Amankwah a.k.a ‘Home Boy’ has said, the real solution to eradicate illegal mining popularly known as ‘galamsey’ is to decentralised minerals right enforcement laws in the country. Because the Minerals Commission alone can’t do the work.
According to Hon. Nicholas Amankwah, it is not right for people with interest in small scale mining to come to the Minerals Commission office in Accra to obtain licenses before going back to the remote area where the mining will take place.
This, he emphasisd that, there is the need to establish Mineral Commission’s Office at the various District and Municipal Assemblies especially, where mining activities remains the only source of income for the youth.
He made this call during his address at the National Dialogue Series with the Nananom, Miners and residents from the various communities in his constituency to see how possible best they can work together to eradicate the illegal miners from their area. Theme: “A National Conversation on illegal mining (Galamsey)- the way forward” organised by the Multimedia Group at Amenfiman Senior High School Assembly hall on Friday, March 26, 2021.
According to him, his request will help Miners in his mining community, Wassa Akropong and Ghana at large to easily acquire mining license from their own assembly to operate and devoid from harassment.
The MP, who doubles as Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Employment, Social Welfare and State Enterprises is of the view that, these illegal mining activities and their associated problems are local problems demanding a local enforcement approach.
“This will help enable the small-scale miners to work and earn their livelihoods in a regulated, secure, and lawful environment” he said.
Hon. MP admonished gov’t to include Chiefs in the fight against illegal mining.
“The wanton destruction of the environment and natural resources would be curtailed if the Nananom, as custodians of the lands are given some authority by the State” he opined.
Hon. MP stressed that, if gov’t include the local authorities, the Chiefs will have a role to play to help the gov’t to achieve its aim of fighting illegal miners in Ghana .
Hon. Amamkwah made an humble appeal to all the stakeholders to come together and work as one people to stop the canker from destroying our environments.
By// Kaakyire Kwasi Afari.
Source// New Day FM, Jomoro.










