Joseph Nelson, the Western Regional Minister, has commended the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Police Command for arresting 12 persons for the destruction of railway lines along the Akyim-Bonsawere stretch.
The Takoradi-Nsuta Railway lines once facilitated the haulage of tonnes of manganese in the Western Region.
The destruction, spanning several meters, has caused widespread public outrage, with many netizens calling for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.
The damage follows years of deterioration and abandonment of the railway infrastructure.
With the absence of active railway operations, galamseyers seize the opportunity to encroach on the area in search of gold.
The Minister’s visit follows a viral video showing the destruction of the railway lines along the Akyim-Bonsawere stretch.
Speaking to the media, Joseph Nelson demanded the prosecution of the 12 arrested individuals and also sustained monitoring of the railway.
“This is a threat not only to national assets but also to our very existence since the environment is constantly being polluted, a threat to water supply, forest reserves, water bodies, among others,” he said.
The Regional Minister urged the police to step up surveillance saying, “From all indications, this mining did not happen in a day; it’s been here for weeks or months.”
Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has announced that the National Security Council believes the galamsey fight can be won without a state of emergency.
According to John Mahama, the National Security Council has not advised him on a declaration of a state of emergency, and once they do, he will not hesitate to declare it.
Speaking during a stakeholder engagement on illegal mining in Accra, the President stated, “Yes, I have the power to do it. But the president acts not only on his authority but also on the advice of the National Security Council…as of now, the National Security Council believes that we can win the fight against galamsey without a state of emergency”.
The day they advise me otherwise — that now we need a state of emergency — I will not hesitate in declaring it,” he added.
Mahama added, “We still believe we have the power to win this fight”.
Also, the Director of Operations of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), Col. Dominic Buah, has said illegal miners are the prime enemies of the state.
He said, “Mr. President, with your permission, I would like to send this warning to illegal miners, their assigns, and financiers. They are the first or prime enemies of the state, and they will be dealt with as such. There will be no room for them to escape or to hide. NAIMOS will smoke them out very soon; there is no resting place for them,” Col. Buah said.
Col. Buah added, “They should get ready and be assured that very soon our waters will turn blue and our forests will turn green. We have already trained over 400 troops who are the first batch deployed or are under deployment to sensitive areas. We will continue to deploy more so that we will all go to bed knowing that NAIMOS is firmly on the ground and illegal mining will be a thing of the past.”
“All illegal miners, galamseyers, and financiers, beware. NAIMOS is closer to your bases, and there will be no hiding place for you”, he added.
Additionally, Dominic Ayine, the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, has revealed that the government will repeal the infamous Legislative Instrument (LI) 2462, which allows mining in forest reserves.
According to the Attorney General, LI 2505 will be laid in Parliament to repeal infamous LI 2462.
Speaking during the stakeholder engagement on illegal mining assembled by President John Dramani Mahama in Accra on Friday, October 3, Dr Ayine stated, “We have prepared an instrument that is LI 2505 in my office, and that will be laid in Parliament on the 14th of October”.
“The Minister and I have agreed that on the 14th of October, when Parliament resumes, we will lay that instrument to revoke the famous LI 2462,” he added.
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