Former Minister for Defense, Dominic Nitiwul, has emphasized that Ghana’s fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, will only yield results if there is a strong and non-partisan national commitment.
Speaking in an interview on Peace FM, Mr. Nitiwul warned that politicizing the fight would severely undermine efforts to curb the menace, noting that “without a unified approach, the battle against galamsey will remain unsuccessful. So long as we keep politicizing galamsey, we will never win this fight,” he stressed.
He expressed cautious support for the government’s new Blue Water Initiative, which seeks to deploy trained personnel to safeguard the country’s water bodies from illegal mining activities.
According to him, while the initiative is laudable, the 460 personnel forming the first batch of Blue Water Guards must be properly equipped, including being armed and licensed for their own protection.
“Fighting galamsey is a very dangerous task. These guards need to be fully prepared, including having the legal authority and tools to defend themselves,” he stated.
Mr. Nitiwul further urged the government to ensure the team is adequately resourced and protected to avoid undermining its own efforts.
The Blue Water Initiative forms part of Ghana’s renewed efforts to combat environmental degradation caused by small-scale illegal mining, which continues to pollute rivers, destroy forest reserves, and threaten public health.
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