He said that would help eliminate the needless danger that abandoned open pits in their concessions posed to innocent citizens.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi on Monday, ahead of the 2022 edition of the National Artisanal Small Scale Mining Awareness Day, Mr Alhassan said constant reclamation of mined pits would go a long way to attract public support to their activities for sustainable mining, devoid of degradation.

He stressed the need for the miners to appreciate the importance of reclamation as their part of the shared responsibility towards nation building.

Mr Alhassan applauded some members who had shown the way by always adhering to best practices by reclaiming their mined sites and called on the Government to involve the Association in its attempt to embark on a reclamation drive.

The National Artisanal Small Scale Mining Awareness Day is celebrated on June 2, annually, and this year's event is scheduled to take place in Kumasi for five days.

“Ensuring Responsible and Sustainable Small Scale Mining in Ghana, Our Shared Responsibility” is the theme.

The event is jointly organised by GNASSM, the Minerals Commission and the University of Mines and Technology.