Galamsey has become a crucial national canker which needed collective efforts to end the menace.

This, when achieved, would help preserve water bodies and forest reserves to promote development and boost tourism in the country, the Central Regional Minister has said.

Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, has therefore called on chiefs, stakeholders and the general public to come on board to end galamsey and save the natural resources of the country for posterity.

The Minister made the appeal at the 2021 first general meeting of the Central Region House of Chiefs to deliberate on ways to uplift the face of the Region.

She said the Regional Coordination Council (RCC) would soon deploy a taskforce to support the military to protect water bodies and forest reserves to help preserve the environment.

Mrs Assan pledged her unflinching support to the chiefs to work assiduously in developing the region into a prosperous and safer one.

She underscored the RCC's strategic plan for the development of the Region with focus on uplifting the face of education, health, sanitation and tourism and as well reduce sanitation and health problems confronting the region.

She also touched on initiatives to create more job opportunities for the youth to reduce teenage pregnancies, unemployment and the high incidence of crime in the region.

The Regional Minister said that processes are underway to revive collapsed Ameen Sangari, Komenda Sugar Factory and other companies in the Region to create employment for many people.

She charged the chiefs to support the RCC to rebrand the region to make it one of the richest in the country.

Mrs Assan expressed worry about the rate of Open Defecation (OD) in the region, saying only 19 percent of households have toilets and described it as a 'national canker ' which must be solved quickly.

She called on stakeholders, individuals and agencies with innovations and investment ideas to get involved to move the region forward into growth and prosperity.