Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, says there is no need for the nations to declare a state of emergency in the fight against illegal mining in the country.
According to him, such calls are simply “draconian and far-reaching.”
Admitting the effects of illegal mining on the country’s environment are far reaching, he however believes declaring a state of emergency could lead to untold social and economic unrest.
“Declaring a state of emergency, that is in the bosom of the president, but I find that being far-reaching, [being] a very draconian measure to take.
“So we will engage him and we will have this conversation, and I believe out of that, we maybe need to come up with some consensus that we can work with,” he said at a media engagement in the capital.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC), University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (UTAG) and some civil society organizations have called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to ban all illegal mining and declare a state of emergency in all mining communities.
Meanwhile, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has taken decisive actions in the galamsey fight, to the extent of destooling sub chiefs who are supervising the menace.
Speaking at a media engagement in Accra, the minister acknowledged the widespread public outcry and the growing frustration over the devastating effects of illegal mining on Ghana’s environment.
