As part of efforts to curb the growing financial strain caused by illegal mining, the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Murtala Mohammed, has vowed to take a tough stance on those responsible.

Speaking during his first official visit to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Minister Murtala Mohammed made it clear that his ministry would not go easy on those found guilty of engaging in the practice.

“We are going to walk the talk. It’s doesn’t matter who is engaged in galamsey activities. Whether you are from the New Patriotic Party or the National Democratic Congress (NDC), as long as the President has given us the absolute authority, that deal with those who are violating our laws as far as sustaining our environment, we will have to do that,” he said.

The Minister also highlighted the need for collaboration between his ministry and other relevant sectors to address the issue.

He noted: “The Ministry played the leading role in confronting it, but we can’t do it in isolation. There are several ministries that we must work with within a collaborative fashion. The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, the Minister of Defence, Local Government and Chieftaincy. The Ministry of the Interior because there are security implications where people are wielding arms. And in fact the Minister of Justice and Attorney General has a role to play. We need to work in a collaborative fashion. ”

Additionally, Minister Mohammed mentioned that alternative methods will be explored to reclaim lands affected by illegal mining, aiming to reduce the burden on the national budget.

Meanwhile, since 2020, over 300 million Ghanaian cedis has been spent in efforts to combat illegal mining. However, the damage to the country’s waterbodies and land continues, prompting calls for a stronger response.