The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, has constituted a five-member committee to take inventory of seized excavators and other related matters.
The Committee, chaired by Mr Ben Aryee, the Advisor on Mines to the Minister, is expected to oversee the handing over of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining and present its reports within a week.
The activities of miners in some parts of the country have led to the destruction of several water bodies including the Pra, Densu and Offin rivers.
President Akufo-Addo’s government placed a temporal ban on the activities of small-scale miners in March 2017 as part of efforts to sanitise the sector and cleanse the water bodies which serves millions of households in Ghana.
The two-year ban was, however, lifted on December 17, 2018. The former minister for environment, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng during a ceremony to announce the unveiling of the ban said only registered and validated small scale miners would be allowed to mine in their designated concessions.Hundreds of seized galamsey excavators which were left in the care of various assemblies could not be accounted for and according to former Minister of Environment Science and Techology Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, though the excavators were seized and taken to the district assemblies, the heavy-duty machines disappeared from the premises of the assemblies.
At his maiden meeting with staff of the Ministry Hon Abu Jinapor also asked directors of the Ministry to exhibit loyalty, transparency and teamwork at all levels.
That, he said, would help to solve the many challenges confronting the land and natural resource sector.
It would also ensure that government efficiently achieved its mandate over the next four years, he said.
Mr Jinapor,who is also the Member of Parliament for Damongo in the Savannah Region, said: “In me you will find a Minister who is very supportive”.
He explained that he would try his best to ensure that all the staff enjoyed their work and contributed their quota towards national growth and development.
Source: mypublisher24.com
