Acting Executive Director of the Forest Services Division of the Forestry Commission, Lydia Opoku, has called for protection for Forest Guards fighting illegal mining, locally known as galamsey.
She emphasized that chiefs and community members, especially in areas affected by illegal mining, must support the Commission’s efforts to tackle the menace, as those involved in galamsey are often protected by armed thugs wielding sophisticated weapons.
Speaking to journalists in Kumasi, on Thursday, May 8, after touring some galamsey sites, Lydia Opoku said that an intervention from local authorities will help.
“The miners are being protected by armed tasks and the sophisticated machines they are holding, we cannot match them. So, we are pleading with the communities, chiefs, to assist to protect the Forestry Commission to protect the forest,” he stated.
Meanwhile, as part of the government’s efforts to combat illegal mining, 453 personnel under the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources Blue Water Initiative, have been trained for four weeks of intensive training at the Ghana Navy Forward Base in Ezilibo, located in the Jomoro District of the Western Region.
They are scheduled to be deployed within one week to support the Ghana Navy in safeguarding the country’s major rivers from the activities of illegal miners, commonly referred to as galamseyers.
Source: Citi News
