A former Chairman of the New Patriotic Party in the Afigya Kwabre South Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, has called for concerted efforts to be made in the fight against illegal mining activities.
He maintained that the fight against illegal mining must be a shared responsibility and not be left in the hands of the government and other regulatory agencies.
He expressed concern over the wanton and continuous destruction of forest reserves and major water bodies due to the activities of illegal miners.
Mr. Appiah, popularly called COKA while speaking during an interview on Kumasi-based Oyerepa FM, called on community members to volunteer information on such activities and also pledge their full support to help the government address the menace.
He further said, “we all have a role to play, as far as Galamsey is concerned. None should be left out. Winning this war is not a one-man business. It requires collective efforts from chiefs, media, civilians, everybody; I mean all hands must be on deck.”
He indicated that the Government was not against mining but such activities must be done responsibly without destroying the environment.
“No one has said mining is wrong and the Government was not against mining. All I am saying is that is for people in this business should go through the right channels. We are losing our farms and water bodies to Galamsey, that should be the focus. When it comes to Galamsey, we are all guilty until we stand up to it and fight it head-on. I am confident with this approach that we will win together,” he said
The government has intensified efforts to deal with the menace and is currently deploying trained river guards to patrol polluted water bodies and ward off illegal miners.
