Galamsey Fight: Govt, Labour Meeting Fruitful—Information Minister Discloses

The ad hoc ministerial committee formed by the President to tackle illegal mining, or “galamsey,” has assured the public that it will find a lasting solution to the issue. 

This assurance followed a key meeting with organized labor on Tuesday. Information Minister Fatima Abubakar described the meeting as  “fruitful and encouraging.”

The almost three-hour meeting was attended by the Minister of National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah. Samuel A. Jinapor, Lands and Natural Resources Minister; Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul; Employment, Labour Relations and Pensions Minister; Ignatius Baffour Awuah. 

A highly placed source told the Daily Graphic that representatives of Organised Labour reiterated previous demands to tackle the galamsey menace. This included a ban on all forms of small-scale mining, declaration of a state of emergency, and reforms to some mining laws.

“The Ministers of National Security, Lands, and Natural Resources, as well as Defense, took turns to provide updates on the current situation. The galamsey fight and some measures by the government, and we hope that a united position will be reached on the way forward soon,” the source said.

The source added that a compelling case was made for the government and other stakeholders to work together as partners to help address the galamsey scourge.

She added that the meeting was a good platform for labor to table its concerns for fruitful discussions in the national interest.

“Sitting for over two-and-half hours, representatives of organized Labour have been able to state their position well. The government said that they should give us one week to complete consultations with the other groups so that we can harmonize the concerns.”.

“The issue is that you can be demanding one thing, and the other groups will be demanding another thing, but if they are mutually exclusive, you cannot implement them at the same time,” she said.

The information minister added that at the next meeting next week, there were likely to be some concessions on certain demands and re-looking others “so that we can all forge ahead in the national interest.” 

Galamsey: Enforcement

Ms Abubakar said that while engagements with other stakeholders were ongoing, the various regional ministers were obliged to lead the charge in conducting intelligence-based sweeps to arrest illegal miners and clear them from the rivers and forest reserves.

She said the government would not renege on its responsibility to protect the country’s natural resources for posterity. For that reason, the appropriate action would be taken in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders to stem the tides.

While the meetings were in session, the Daily Graphic saw footage of actions on the ground that had led to the clamping down of some alluvial miners in some river bodies and the destruction of their equipment.

The footage shows a team of security personnel and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) destroying the equipment and flushing out the illegal activities, an apparent follow-through of the recent charge the government gave Regional Ministers.

Background To Galamsey Calls

Following the resurgence of galamsey, calls by many stakeholders for the President to declare a state of emergency and also ban small-scale mining, the five-member ad hoc committee was set up to engage all stakeholders to assess government’s efforts in dealing with the menace.

The committee’s mandate is to engage with key stakeholders, including local communities, traditional rulers and industry experts and assess the effectiveness of current government measures aimed at curbing illegal mining.

The move signals the government’s renewed commitment to finding a more robust solution to the galamsey menace, which has had devastating effects on Ghana’s environment and natural resources.

“The creation of this ministerial committee is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to tackle the galamsey issue head-on, ensuring that sustainable and effective measures are in place,” a statement announcing the setting up of the committee last week said.

The ad hoc ministerial committee formed by the President to tackle illegal mining, or “galamsey,” has assured the public that it will find a lasting solution to the issue. This assurance followed a key meeting with Organised Labour on Tuesday, which Information Minister Fatima Abubakar described as “fruitful and encouraging.”

The nearly three-hour meeting included National Security Minister Albert Kan-Dapaah, who chairs the committee; Lands and Natural Resources Minister Samuel A. Jinapor; Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul; and Employment and Labour Relations Minister Ignatius Baffour-Awuah.

Although the meeting was closed to the media, a source revealed that Organised Labour pushed for a ban on small-scale mining, the declaration of a state of emergency, and reforms to mining laws.

“The Ministers provided updates on the galamsey fight and government’s efforts so far,” the source said. “We expect to agree on a way forward soon.” Organised Labour and government officials highlighted the need for cooperation to effectively address the galamsey crisis.

Fatima Abubakar said the government asked for one week to complete consultations with other groups before reconciling the different demands raised during the meeting.

“You cannot implement conflicting demands at once,” she explained, adding that the next meeting would likely include compromises on certain issues.

Enforcement Underway

Abubakar also confirmed that regional ministers are leading operations to arrest illegal miners and clear them from rivers and forest reserves. She emphasized that the government remains committed to safeguarding Ghana’s natural resources for future generations.

During the meeting, the Daily Graphic obtained footage of security personnel and National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) teams carrying out operations against illegal miners. They destroyed equipment and flushed miners from river bodies, following directives from the government.

Background

In response to growing pressure from stakeholders to ban small-scale mining and declare a state of emergency, the government established the five-member ad hoc committee. The committee aims to engage local communities, traditional leaders, and industry experts to assess current anti-galamsey measures.

The creation of the committee demonstrates the government’s commitment to finding a sustainable and effective solution to the galamsey menace. “This committee is part of the government’s efforts to address the galamsey issue head-on,” a statement from the government read last week.