PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Ghana steps up fight against illegal mining
Accra, Ghana (PANA) - Ghana is stepping up its fight against illegal mining in the face of environmental degradation, deaths from pits collapsing on miners and invasion by foreigners.
The West African state, which has seen an sharp rise in illegal mining especially in gold and diamonds, has warned all persons involved to stop their activities with immediate effect.
On Tuesday, President John Dramani Mahama inaugurated an inter-ministerial task force on illegal mining to arrest, prosecute and deport foreign nationals involved in illegal mining saying the action had become necessary because of the deadly effects of the activities of illegal miners on the environment.
He said the government was not against small-scale mining but wanted to ensure that the laws were fully enforced.
President Mahama added: "Small scale mining has become a security threat and a danger to the environment and we need to deal with it in a more systematic manner than we have done in the past."
The task force is made of the Ministers of Defence, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Science and Environment, with the Lands and Natural Resources Minister as the chair.
President Mahama told the task force that Its actions might include the following: “Seize equipment of those who fail to comply with the new directives of obtaining or renewing licences; arrest and prosecute anybody, both Ghanaian and non-Ghanaian, engaged in illegal small-scale mining; deport non-Ghanaians involved; revoke the licences of Ghanaians who have sub-leased their concessions to non-Ghanaians against the rules and revoke the licences of Ghanaians who have engaged the services of non-Ghanaians as miners in the small scale-mining sector in ways that are contrary to the rules.”
President Mahama told the task force that its task was to actualize his determination to bring sanity into the mining sector including his pledge to ensure that the small-scale mining sector was reserved for Ghanaians as stated by law.
Dozens of Chinese who have invaded the small-scale mining sector been deported by the Ghana Immigration Service in recent weeks.
The Chinese are also known to have been involved in violent acts, including murder.
Illegal small-scale miners leave lands unclaimed and use dangerous chemicals, such as mercury, that are washed into the water bodies in the areas where they operate.
-0- PANA MA 14May2013
The West African state, which has seen an sharp rise in illegal mining especially in gold and diamonds, has warned all persons involved to stop their activities with immediate effect.
On Tuesday, President John Dramani Mahama inaugurated an inter-ministerial task force on illegal mining to arrest, prosecute and deport foreign nationals involved in illegal mining saying the action had become necessary because of the deadly effects of the activities of illegal miners on the environment.
He said the government was not against small-scale mining but wanted to ensure that the laws were fully enforced.
President Mahama added: "Small scale mining has become a security threat and a danger to the environment and we need to deal with it in a more systematic manner than we have done in the past."
The task force is made of the Ministers of Defence, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Science and Environment, with the Lands and Natural Resources Minister as the chair.
President Mahama told the task force that Its actions might include the following: “Seize equipment of those who fail to comply with the new directives of obtaining or renewing licences; arrest and prosecute anybody, both Ghanaian and non-Ghanaian, engaged in illegal small-scale mining; deport non-Ghanaians involved; revoke the licences of Ghanaians who have sub-leased their concessions to non-Ghanaians against the rules and revoke the licences of Ghanaians who have engaged the services of non-Ghanaians as miners in the small scale-mining sector in ways that are contrary to the rules.”
President Mahama told the task force that its task was to actualize his determination to bring sanity into the mining sector including his pledge to ensure that the small-scale mining sector was reserved for Ghanaians as stated by law.
Dozens of Chinese who have invaded the small-scale mining sector been deported by the Ghana Immigration Service in recent weeks.
The Chinese are also known to have been involved in violent acts, including murder.
Illegal small-scale miners leave lands unclaimed and use dangerous chemicals, such as mercury, that are washed into the water bodies in the areas where they operate.
-0- PANA MA 14May2013
