22 hours Ago By News Ghana
News Ghana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, News Ghana, https://newsghana.com.gh/ghana-minister-equates-illegal-miners-to-terrorists-over-environmental-harm/Ghana’s Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has escalated efforts to combat illegal mining by likening its perpetrators to terrorists, citing irreversible damage to ecosystems and public health.
His remarks, delivered during a national address on Thursday, frame the crisis as a threat to both environmental stability and human survival.“Illegal miners are not mere criminals—they are terrorists destroying our future,” Jinapor declared, emphasizing that unchecked galamsey operations have contaminated over 60% of Ghana’s freshwater sources. Recent data from the Water Resources Commission reveals turbidity levels in major rivers exceeding 12,000 NTU, dwarfing the 500 NTU threshold deemed safe for consumption.
The Minister’s rhetoric aligns with mounting evidence of ecological collapse. Forest reserves in the Ashanti and Western regions have lost 30% of their cover since 2020, while farmlands in cocoa-producing areas report a 40% decline in yields due to chemical runoff. “Communities are drinking poison, children are falling ill—this is a silent war,” Jinapor stated, referencing a surge in kidney disease cases linked to polluted water.
Government plans include deploying military drones to monitor mining hotspots and revoking licenses of regulatory officials implicated in corruption. A proposed amendment to the Minerals and Mining Act would impose life sentences for illegal miners convicted of operating near critical watersheds.In a conciliatory gesture, Jinapor urged artisanal miners to formalize their operations through a state-sponsored licensing program.
Over 2,000 permits have been issued since 2023 under stricter sustainability criteria, though critics argue bureaucratic delays hinder compliance.The Minister’s militarized language reflects a growing desperation to curb a crisis that has persisted through multiple administrations. While past crackdowns, like the 2017 Operation Vanguard, temporarily reduced illegal activity, systemic corruption and fluctuating global gold prices have fueled its resurgence.
Environmental economists warn that Ghana risks losing $6 billion annually by 2030 in water treatment costs and agricultural losses alone.Yet solutions remain contentious. Heavy-handed enforcement often displaces rather than eliminates galamsey networks, while poverty drives recruitment of miners.
Experts stress that lasting progress requires pairing surveillance with grassroots job programs and transparent land-rights reforms. As Jinapor noted, “This fight isn’t just about laws—it’s about survival.” The path forward hinges on balancing force with equity, a challenge as complex as the soil itself.
News Ghana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, News Ghana, https://newsghana.com.gh/ghana-minister-equates-illegal-miners-to-terrorists-over-environmental-harm/.
