We Will Deal With Anyone Involved In Galamsey, Irrespective Of Party Affiliation - Jinapor

The Lands and the Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abudalai Jinapor, has stated that the fight against the illegal mining will be devoid of any form of partisanship under his watch. Mr. Jinapor said the law enforcement component of galamsey continues to be the mandate of the country’s National Security, as well as the District and Regional Security Councils. In an interaction with

MMDCEs in the Western Region on the first day of his tour of the area, the Minister also charged the security councils to boldly enforce the laws and new directives regarding the illegal small-scale mining. I also want to assure you that the president’s resolve on this matter is unequivocal and a fact, and he has said it and I want to repeat it that nobody is above the laws of this country.

The president and his government are determined that whoever is involved in this illegality will be dealt with. It does not matter who that person is; he may be an NPP bigwig or an NDC bigwig or a government appointee or even myself too, the sector minister, or even the deputy ministers that I will be working with. The officials of the ministry and the MMDCEs are going to watch each also

other and nobody will be be above the law. Government recently renewed its commitment to fight illegal mining at a National Consultative Dialogue on the Small Scale Mining, where stakeholders charged the government to take steps to to strictly apply the country’s mining laws. This has led to many actions being taken in that regard. Government ordered persons undertaking prospecting

activities also in the forest reserves across the country to indefinitely suspend such activities. It also directed the Minerals Commission to desist from processing or granting any request for the renewal of the prospecting licenses in forest reserves. The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources hereby directs all persons and or the companies also engaged in the reconnaissance and or prospecting in the Forest Reserves, with or without legal

authorization to suspend all such activities until further notice. The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources has also further directed the Minerals Commission, with immediate effect, not to accept, process or recommend the grant, including the renewal and or extension of the reconnaissance and prospecting licenses in the Forest Reserves, a statement also from the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry said.