Lands and Natural Resources Minister John Peter Amewu has revealed that he will take action against a mining inspector who was found drunk when the minister, in the company of journalists and other officials, embarked on a tour of some galamsey areas.
“How can such a person be responsible for monitoring? …If you put people like this to work, there is no way you can expect any accuracy in terms of monitoring”, he told the press on Thursday, April 2017.
“We are asking that he immediately be transferred to Accra. He is going to work in my office.”
Mr Amewu and his deputy, Benito Owusu-Bio, as well as officials of the Minerals Commission in the Eastern Region visited several places including Kubereso, Atiwa, Pinaman, West Anyinam, and Kyebi.
Meanwhile, Mr Amewu has said no excavator withdrawn from illegal mining sites will be allowed to return to the sites.
Several excavator operators have reportedly withdrawn their equipment from illegal mining sites as the ultimatum given by government to clamp down on illegal mining expired on Wednesday 20 April.
According to the sector minister, close to 500 of the excavators have been voluntarily pulled out from such mining sites by their owners. He said government remained committed to ensuring a total halt to galamsey operations in the country.
Speaking to journalists during his tour of the Eastern Region to check if his directive was being complied with, Mr Amewu assured the campaign would be sustained.
“I know these guys are going out with the intention of returning, but please that will not happen this time round. This time we as a country, and not a government, collectively have agreed that enough is enough,” he stated.
Source:Ghana/AccraFM.com
