The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has disclosed that the government is pursuing legislation to hold traditional authorities and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) accountable for their roles in the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
According to the Minister, the proposed legislation, which he said had been laid before Parliament, seeks to strengthen accountability at the local level and prevent traditional leaders and local government officials from shirking their responsibilities in combating the menace.
Mr Armah-Kofi Buah made the disclosure while addressing journalists after participating in an anti-illegal mining operation in the Atewa Forest with the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat and the military (NAIMOS).
He expressed concern about the devastating effects of illegal mining on the country’s environment and public health, particularly the potential consequences for children exposed to pollution associated with the activity.
“This is eating our country away. And guess what? When the kids are getting all those diseases, look, we must stop those discussions about galamsey and how we politicise this. This is the reason we are struggling. This is killing us. It’s destroying our country,” he lamented.
Chiefs, MMDCEs must be accountable
The Minister maintained that the time had come for traditional authorities and MMDCEs to take greater responsibility for illegal mining activities within their respective jurisdictions.
He argued that local authorities could no longer distance themselves from the destruction of the environment, particularly when illegal mining operations were taking place within their communities.
“We’ve got to this point where chiefs, MMDCEs must be held responsible for their districts. No excuses anymore. They should, they know what’s happening in their district and we’re getting to that point, especially after the passage of what I’ve laid before Parliament, where those excuses will be taken away,” he stated.
Mr Armah-Kofi Buah indicated that the proposed legislation would introduce measures intended to strengthen the involvement of traditional authorities in decisions concerning mining activities within their jurisdictions.
He suggested that chiefs would be required to play a more direct role in the processes leading to the granting of mining licences, making it difficult for them to deny knowledge of mining operations in their communities.
“No chief after the passage of the new Act of Parliament will tell me that they did not know how a miner got a licence … because the recommendation was coming from them and that is the level where we are getting,” he explained.
The Minister stressed that the fight against illegal mining required collective responsibility, particularly from traditional leaders and local government authorities, whose proximity to affected communities placed them in a position to help tackle the problem.
“Why are we doing that? We are doing that because they have a shared responsibility in this fight. We must work together to make sure we rid this country of this canker,” he added.
