Mr Joseph Nelson, the Western Regional Minister, has called on paramount chiefs and traditional rulers in the Region to intensify the fight against illegal mining, popularly called galamsey.
He pointed out that without the efforts of the chiefs, the fight against galamsey by the government alone, remained a herculean task.
Mr Nelson was speaking as the guest of honour to climax the Egila Yam Festival the chiefs and people of Gwira Traditional Area at Bamiankor in the Nzema-East Municipality.
The Regional Minister expressed the devastating consequences of the galamsey menace on the environment, agricultural productivity, every facet of life and called for a concerted effort to clamp down on galamsey.
” Until we commit ourselves to the fight against galamsey, it is not going to be a success”.
The festival which marks the beginning of a new agricultural season, brought together, traditional rulers, politicians, corporate bodies, and other stakeholders to promote unity, hard work, and respect for tradition.
It was on the theme: ” United in Purpose, Advance in Progress: The Gwira Way Forward”.
The Regional Minister charged Nananom to rekindle their efforts to defeat the galamsey menace.
Mr Nelson noted that the people of the Western Region were suffering due to the destructive nature of galamsey, adding that the region’s gold resources, which should be a blessing, were instead becoming a curse.
The Regional Minister observed that the River Ankobra, which runs through the Nzema-East Municipality, was a prime example of the devastating effects of galamsey, and urged the Paramount Chiefs and traditional rulers to rekindle their efforts to defeat the menace
The Minister charged all to help restore the degraded environment to some sane level.
