The Eastern Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency EPA, Mr. Felix Addo-Okyireh , has appealed to the country’s judiciary to assist in the country’s quest to fighting illegal mining in the country.

He said the inability of the courts to crack the whip on illegal miners who are brought before the courts had become a bane in the country’s effort at clamping down on the menace. He therefore called on the courts to deal decisively with perpetrators who flout the country’s mining laws.

Mr. Addo-Okyireh, made the appeal at a one-day stakeholders workshop organized by the Inspectorate Division of Minerals Commission at Kade.   He said although, the Presidential taskforce which was set-up to help curb the situation, made a positive impact, more work has to be done since according to him most of the culprits who were arraigned before the courts are still walking free on our streets and still doing the same things they were arrested for.

The workshop which brought together traditional authorities, assembly members, miners and staff of the Kwaebibirem District Assembly, deliberated on the theme,"Protecting our Mineral Resources–The Role of the Stakeholders".
 
A mining inspector at the Minerals Commission, Mr. J.F. Arthur, in a presentation, mentioned apathy on the part of the general public to report illegal miners, community encroachment by licensed operators and ignorance of existence of mineral and mining laws as some of the challenges confronting the Commission in the discharge of their mandated duties and therefore called for the total collaboration of all to help the Commission enforce compliance of the laws.

Mr. Arthur advised traditional authorities and the general public to desist from releasing lands to prospective miners without recourse to the Commission.

The District Chief Executive for Kwaebibirem, Mr. Emmanuel Aboagye Osae, also entreated the participants to have a fruitful discussion on the matter and urged them to become good apostles to propagate the message. He indicated that the duty to protect our natural resource was a responsibility of all, and admonished all present to make it a duty to safeguard it for generations unborn.

Mr. Aboagye Osae also noted that even though the assembly is deeply involved in the fight against illegal mining, lack of expertise and logistics has hindered its smooth operations and urged the Commission to make their services available in the district.
 
The principal inspector of mines, Mr. Evans Adade charged all and sundry to wake up to the call to help curb the menace of illegal mining activities in the district.

Dominic Shirimori/Patrick Ayeh/Ghanadistricts.com