Ankobra: From Galamsey Workshop To A River Of Hope
“I would choose to fight with integrity and die than being corrupted in this dangerous world that will destroy all of us”-Land and Natural Resource Minister There was something strangely reassuring about the silence along portions of the Ankobra River last Thursday. For years, the banks of the river had been anything but quiet. They […] The post Ankobra: From Galamsey Workshop To A River Of Hope…
The banks of the Ankobra River were transformed from bustling illegal mining workshops to a quiet scene last Thursday. The makeshift structures and mining equipment that once characterized the landscape had disappeared, leaving behind an eerie stillness. This change was evident to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, and personnel from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) who visited the river.
The quietness was not the silence of impunity, but rather the quiet after an illegal occupation had been removed and cleared. The enforcement team of NAIMOS had made the river their operational home, staying long after regular security personnel left, which had yielded significant results. Near 3,000 mining machines were removed from the Ankobra, Pra, and Birim rivers, and over 237 arrests were made, including 144 foreign nationals.
The Minister emphasized that the government had shifted from sporadic raids to permanent, intelligence-led operations, which he believed was a crucial step in the fight against illegal mining. Although the battle is far from over, the Minister expressed optimism about the progress made so far.
Written by urgent.news from The Chronicle Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
