GCPP Commends Govt’s Effort In Fight Against Galamsey

The Leader of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), Dr Henry Herbert Lartey, has commended government’s action in the fight against the ‘galamsey’ (illegal mining) menace in the country.

According to him, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had demonstrated that action spoke louder than words and fulfilled his promise to fight the galamsey menace that was destroying the country’s environment, water bodies and farmlands.
 
In a chat with the Daily Graphic in Accra last Wednesday, Dr Lartey declared, “Today, we have good news that real action has been taken by the President to fight and stop illegal mining.”

Let’s support fight

Dr Lartey urged Ghanaians to support the fight against galamsey and not allow the surge of reckless mining to continue.

He believed that there was the need for Ghana to protect its environment, water bodies and farmlands.

In view of that, he said, the security services were in the Ashanti, Eastern and Western regions well equipped to get the job done.

Reckless mining

 “We must not allow the surge of reckless mining to continue. We have to prize water and food sovereignty over illegal gold mining,” Dr Lartey said.

The GCPP leader, who recognised the importance of gold mining, believed that it should be done properly, hence the need to stop illegal mining.

“Gold mining can of course be an important economic driver when it is properly regulated and enforced,” he said.

Context/background

It will be recalled that the national anti-galamsey task force has started its operation with a warning from the Minister of Defence, Mr Dominic Nitiwul, to galamsey operators and residents in communities ravaged by the menace not to dare the members because they do so at their peril.

The task force, comprising 400 soldiers and policemen and believed to be the most profound action taken by the government in its fight against illegal mining, has also been tasked not to fail the nation.

Dubbed: “Operation Vanguard”, the task force has been divided into three groups to cover the Ashanti, Eastern and Western regions considered to be the most affected by the illegal operations.

The teams have been tasked to stay at their assigned regions until all forms of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey have been stopped and unauthorised mining pits permanently destroyed.

Trained at the Bundase Training Camp in the Ningo Prampram District in the Greater Accra Region, the task force members have been equipped and also supplied with new patrol vehicles and other logistics to enable them to perform their operations with urgency and speed.