The Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners has urged the government to take action against unlicensed/ illegal miners who have been arrested for damaging water bodies.
Over 15 illegal miners, including foreigners, have been apprehended in the Eastern Region in the last several days.
The illegal miners, mostly foreigners from Burkina Faso, Benin, and Ivory Coast, have infiltrated the villages, altered the Pra River’s course, and are mining with mercury.
The miners had set up camp and, upon spotting the Minister’s crew, had fled to the woods.
However, the team was able to apprehend five of them and burn over 30 changfan machines at Oseikrom.
In an interview, the operation’s leader, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker, said that the group was stopped “because they don’t have a mining license.” It is in an unlawful location. Before they begin mining, they must get an EPA license.”
In order to complement the government’s efforts, the association’s taskforce launched a two-day operation to apprehend these illegal miners.
Speaking to the media after the arrest of several unlicensed miners at Atewa, Abdul Razak Alhassan, Communications Director of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners, said the illegal miners’ actions continue to wreak havoc on the mining sector.
According to him, they would deal with all unlicensed miners in the nation.
“There has been a whole lot of confusion and mistrust between us and the public who are doing legal businesses and these illegal guys are only disturbing and at any point in time, they are added to us and treated unfairly so we have taken it upon ourselves that we will not sit down and allow this to happen to us.”
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