Nana Kobina Nketsia V, the Paramount Chief of Essikadu Traditional Area, has lashed out at people involved in illegal small-scale mining, describing them as "criminals and anti-Ghana".

He said Ghanaians should be blamed for the destruction of the forest cover and pollution of the water bodies because they fronted for the Chinese and other foreign nationals to the various mining sites.

Nana Nketsia advised the Minister of Lands and Natural Resource, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, to put aside his "NPP Jersey" and wear "Black Stars Jersey" to fight against galamsey without fear or favour of one's status or political affiliation.

The Omanhene was of the conviction that a successful fight against illegal small-scale mining would forever cement the legacy of President Akufo-Addo's Government in the country's history.

Nana Nketsia gave the advice when Mr Jinapor led a delegation to pay a courtesy call on him at Essikadu in the Western Region, on Monday.

Nana Nketsia bemoaned the destruction caused by the activities of illegal miners, resulting in lack of raw water for treatment, saying; "Those of us in Sekondi-Takoradi sometimes do not get potable water to drink for two weeks because of galamsey".

"Land is Ghana and every land is a soul and it's intangible because we can't touch a soul," he noted.

The Chief noted that any nation that could not protect the health of her people was not worth dying for, and thus, expressed the urgent need to use every means to protect the forest from destruction.

"When I see the timber being carried away in cars, then my intestines are ripping apart," he lamented.

When it comes to Ghana, every obstacle must be removed, and we should do so devoid of any partisan politics," he said.

Early on, Mr Jinapor reiterated government's determination to end the galamsey menace and would do so through a broad-base approach, devoid of any partisanship.

He appealed to all chiefs to get involved in the fight against the galamsey menace with a united front.

The Minister is on a two-day tour of the Western Region to meet with security chiefs, MMDCEs and community mining sites to galvanise support to end the galamsey menace.