16 Ministers Summoned Over Galamsey …Samuel Jinapor Demands Collective Action In Honesty

All 16 Regional Ministers are to converge at the conference room of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in Accra by 10 o’clock in the forenoon of Wednesday September 11, 2024 to take decisions to comprehensively tackle the challenges of illegal small scale mining with a sense of urgency, The New Publisher has gathered.

The meeting, insiders hint, would take a review of initiatives implemented by successive Governments over the years and draw lessons from whatever shortfalls may be contained in the implementation of the said initiatives. This would be followed with ho-brutally frank deliberations to come up with practical and workable solutions to be implemented in consultation and cooperation with relevant stakeholders to acheive immediate, short term and long term results.

Wednesday’s crisis meeting is at the behest of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor,  officially mandated by  Section 11 of the Civil Service Law, 1993 (PNDCL 327) to ensure the sustainable management and utilization of the Ghana’s lands and forests resources as well as the efficient management of the mineral resources for socio-economic growth and development.

Illegal small scale mining mostly known as ‘galamsey’ has become a sustained threat to the country’s forest reserves and water bodies and a rather sensitive subject which opposition political parties, especially the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has blamed the incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration of ‘deliberately’  failing to tackle.

In the heat of the ongoing pre-election campaign, the ruling government has become a political punch bag receiving all the blames for effects of galamsey while the NDC claims innocence and says it has clean hands.

Over the years, Lands Minister Samuel Jinapor, has insisted that the fight against galamsey would not be successful if it is handled as a partisan political issue one rather than a challenge that is tackled in the spirit of national consensus.

Speaking on the Floor of Parliament on 18th March, 2021, in response to a Statement made by Hon. Rashid Pelpuo, MP for Wa Central and Ranking Member for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Jinapor made a strong case for a national consensus  approach and a an all inclusive support for the fight against galamsey.

The Lands Minister said there is the need for all parties and stakeholders to be honest that galamsey did not start under the Presidency of Nana Akufo-Addo but has been a challenge for decades under past governments.

“The impression sometimes is created that illegal small scale mining just happened overnight. That is not correct Mr. Speaker. It is not correct that illegal small scale mining just happened. I have in my hands here the proceedings of the Appointments Committee date Friday 25th January 2013, where very characteristic of my friend Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa, he tabled quite rightly, the issue of illegal small scale mining when my senior brother Hon. Alhaji Inusah Fuseini appeared before the Committee to be vetted for the position of Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.

“Mr. Speaker, it is instructive and revealing and I just want to read portions of it and I quote; the Hon Okudzeto Ablakwa in posing a question, stated as follows: ‘my second question, Mr. Chairman, has to do with mining – small scale mining in recent times, there have been serious concerns about the way and manner small scale mining is destroying our environment. Indeed, our water bodies are now polluted because of small scale mining, especially illegal small scale mining, popularly known as galamsey.

“While you are answering that, I would like to know how you intend to carry out the NDC manifesto pledge to flush out foreign galamsey operators. Now you have to grapple with not only the illegal small scale miners from Ghana, but illegal small scale miners from many other countries. …” Samuel Jinapor noted to make his point that even before the NPP came into government in January 2017, galamsey activities had already destroyed the country’s water bodies and forest reserves.

The Lands Minister called for the support of Members of Parliament from both sides of the divide and said that a united front working with the spirit of honesty would be a quick action to tackle the menace conclusivel:

“I want to crave the indulgence of the Members s of this House. We have 275 Members of Parliament and if I was lucky to receive the support of even 80 of the Members, I have no doubt that we can deal with the issue of illegal small scale miners in this country. Because in every Community where you have illegal small scale miming, you have a Member of Parliament and I intend to count on the wisdom, the experiences, the support of the Members of this House and together, we can deal with illegal small scale mining in our country for the betterment of the future of our country.”

Samuel Jinapor cited what he said are examples of interventions adopted by the current government to address the challenge:

“Mr. Speaker a lot of good interventions took place in the first four years under Akufo-Addo in respect of small scale mining, This was the first time in the history of our country that the issue of small scale mining was put very much at the front burner where a lot of interventions were made.

“Interventions such as training small scale miners, interventions such as community mining introduction, there were a gamut of legal interventions; laws that were put in place to deal with equipment, to deal with the issue of how to acquire license, to deal with the issue of revenue from mining and a lot of other interventions were made.

“We must also admit and I am the first to admit that there are lessons to be learnt out of that which is why I have set up a Committee Chaired by the Honorable Member of Parliament for Atwima-Nwabiagya Honouable Benito Owusu Bio to coordinate this national dialogue which would have all of us around the table- NPP, NDC, National House of Chiefs, pundits, Civil Society Orginasations, Media, around the table to discuss this matter.