“I have fought galamsey like nobody else in Ghana” – Tano North MCE

Tano North Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Pius Samson Opoku asserts that his administration has made substantial strides in combating illegal mining, or galamsey, in his jurisdiction. Refuting the notion that authorities are unresponsive to the issue, Mr. Opoku highlighted the various measures his administration has implemented since coming into office.

Speaking on Adom FM's Dwaso Nsem, he explained that the Tano North Assembly has repeatedly engaged with the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), deploying them more than eight times to the area as part of concerted efforts to curb illegal mining activities. In addition, the administration has formed a partnership with the mining company Newmont to establish a joint taskforce for monitoring and addressing illegal mining operations within the municipality.

Mr. Opoku emphasized that these interventions, if not overstated, represent his most significant contribution to the fight against galamsey in Ghana. He acknowledged that while illegal mining persists in some parts of Tano North, the Assembly has not been passive in its efforts to address the problem. Despite the presence of galamsey in the municipality, Mr. Opoku rebuffed claims of inaction, asserting that the continuous deployment of NAIMOS and the taskforce's activities constitute ongoing efforts to monitor and suppress illegal mining.

The MCE pledged the Assembly's commitment to continuing collaboration with security agencies and other stakeholders in safeguarding the municipality's natural resources and preventing illegal miners from operating unchecked. He reiterated that combating galamsey necessitates persistent enforcement and cooperation rather than singular actions, and affirmed the Assembly's determination to bolster its interventions against the illegal mining menace.