As parts of Government's efforts to sanitize the small-scale mining sector, it has rolled-out alternative livelihood projects to equip people living in mining communities with skills to improve upon their economic lives.

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, said the initiative would ensure that mining communities remained vibrant and wouldn't become "ghost towns" after cessation of mining activities.

Speaking at a ceremony at Atikwatia-Kwaso in the Eastern Region, to mark the lifting of four million hybrid oil palm seedlings in support of the Green Ghana Project, Mr Jinapor stated that, the Ministry's effort of curbing illegal mining required that the energies of the youth be channeled towards sustainable livelihoods activities such as oil palm plantations.

The Minister, therefore, reiterated Government's earlier stance that it wasn't against small-scale mining, but illicit mining practices.

The Minister added that his recent tour to some major rivers including River Brim in the Eastern Region, saw massive pollution and devastation of the forest cover in the southern parts of the country.

He, therefore, called on the Chiefs to support the fight against illegal mining.

He said the government intended to plant five million trees in a day on June 11, across the country under its Green Ghana Project.

The Minister said the exercise would commence with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Vice President Bawumia, Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumama Bagbin, and some Chiefs planting trees.

He, therefore, called on the support of the Chiefs to participate in the upcoming project on June 11, 2021.

" Let's go planting and let's go planting five million trees", he added.