The President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has stated clearly that the ban on galamsey -i.e. illegal mining- has not been lifted and will not be lifted.
According to President Akufo-Addo, it is the ban on legitimate small-scale mining that has rather been lifted, explaining that the ban on small-scale mining was never intended to be permanent.
“It was to enable Government fashion a policy that would sanitize the sector and ensure that in future, small-scale mining, which has been with us for centuries, would not damage our environment. The measures announced last Friday do exactly that,” the President said.
He continued, “I cannot, and will not, give up on the fight to protect our environment. I entreat the media and all well-intentioned Ghanaians to continue to join the fight to protect our lands and water bodies.”
President Akufo-Addo made this known on Wednesday, 19th December, 2018, when he addressed members of the media at an end of year press conference, at Jubilee House, Accra.
With the protection of the environment uppermost in Government’s considerations, as it seeks to bring rapid development to the people, the President noted that one thousand (1,000) units of 10-seater water closet institutional toilets with mechanized boreholes are currently under construction around the country.
Additionally, one thousand (1,000) community-based limited solar powered mechanized water systems are being constructed, with each constituency getting a minimum of three of these institutional toilets and water systems under the Special Development Initiatives and the Development Authorities.
“I notice that there is room for constituency priority infrastructure needs under which the constituencies pick what they identify as their priority need. I believe there is a lesson in there for all of us by simply taking a look at the diversity of priority needs: community centres, police posts, street lights, culverts etc,” he added.
By Joseph Nii Ankrah
