The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker, has firmly rejected calls for a blanket ban on small-scale mining operations in Ghana, describing the demands as misplaced and lacking thorough consideration.
Mr. Duker, speaking at the commissioning of the Meretweso Community Mining Scheme in the Upper Denkyira East Municipality of the Central Region, noted that while illegal mining activities have led to the destruction of water bodies and severe environmental degradation, a total ban on small-scale mining is not a solution. He emphasized the government’s commitment to tackling illegal mining while promoting responsible small-scale mining practices.
Calls for an immediate ban on all small-scale mining operations have been made by professional groups, including the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and various unions, as a measure to curb the growing environmental impact of illegal mining, commonly known as “galamsey.”
Organised Labour has further indicated its readiness to embark on a nationwide strike if the government fails to take decisive action to address the devastation of water bodies caused by illegal miners.
In his response, Mr. Duker stressed that while the concerns over environmental destruction are valid, banning all mining activities would be an ineffective and inappropriate response. He criticized the lack of thorough analysis behind the calls for a ban, pointing out the need for more targeted actions against illegal operations rather than a blanket prohibition on the entire sector.
“It is misdirected because I was expecting them to have condemned the statement made by his excellency the former President Mahama before even calling for this action because you can’t just in a way out of the blue say, put a ban. Ban on what? What are the metrics, what have you done? What analysis have you done?” he questioned.
He also called for a collective approach to tackling the issue, stating, “Yes, people are destroying our water bodies; there are measures we need to take to clamp down on recalcitrants who are destroying them, and I agree with them perfectly. But I am personally against the call for the ban on mining generally. You can’t ban mining. Why must you ban mining?”
As part of efforts to address the destruction of water bodies, the Deputy Minister revealed that the government plans to deploy river guards to protect these vital natural resources from further harm.