Hopeson Adorye calls for one-year mining ban as abandoned galamsey pits claim 23 lives in Ashanti Region
Director of Field Operations of the United Party (UP), Hopeson Adorye, has called for a one-year suspension of small-scale mining across Ghana, arguing that the country must take more drastic measures to confront the growing threat posed by illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Hopeson Adorye, the Director of Field Operations for the United Party, has urged Ghana to impose a one-year ban on small-scale mining, citing the rising toll of illegal mining, or galamsey, which has claimed 23 lives in the Ashanti Region. During an interview on JoyNews AM Show, Adorye expressed disappointment with the country's inadequate response to illegal mining, arguing that existing measures were ineffective.
He criticized the continuous use of security personnel without a corresponding decrease in illegal mining, stating that the fight against galamsey felt like "a joke."
Adorye advocated for a firmer enforcement approach, questioning the continued use of military personnel for anti-galamsey operations. He proposed that President John Dramani Mahama should impose a one-year ban on small-scale mining as part of a national environmental recovery program, excluding established, regulatory-compliant mining companies.
Instead of leaving thousands of people without jobs, Adorye suggested that the government should employ galamsey miners to restore degraded land, plant trees, and rehabilitate abandoned mining sites.
The UP official believed that such a reclamation programme could help restore Ghana's polluted rivers and streams, restoring the country's environment within a year. He contrasted his proposal with the current measures, expressing doubt about their efficacy. Adorye emphasized that the one-year suspension would allow the government to focus exclusively on recovering areas damaged by mining, potentially leading to cleaner rivers and improved water quality.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
