AUS-based Ghanaian mining consultant, Dr Solomon Owusu, has condemned the use of the military to clamp down on illegal mining activities, popularly known as galamsey, in the country.

Dr Owusu asserted that this approach, adopted by the government, is flawed.

In his view, the country needs a stringent approach backed by Ghana’s Mineral Act to rid the country of the menace.

Speaking to the media on Saturday, September 18, 2022, he said, “using the military approach will not solve the problem. They need technical inputs, and after getting the technical inputs to ensure that the right standard operating procedures have been developed for them to follow, then monitoring and law enforcement follow.”

The digging of small working pits and tunnels by miners in search of gold has in the long run destroyed Ghana’s water bodies and farmlands.

A chilling revelation by the Water Resources Commission (WRC) disclosed that about 60 percent of Ghana’s water bodies had been polluted as a result of galamsey.

The persistent canker has been heavily criticized by citizens due to its detrimental environmental effects.

However, the US-based Ghanaian mining consultant mentioned that the continuous degradation of Ghana’s water bodies and lands should not only be blamed on illegal miners.

Dr Owusu stated that some small-scale miners are also part of Ghana’s woes.

He pointed out that both small-scale and illegal miners use arbitrary means of mineral extraction leading to the associated damage to the environment.

In order to fight the canker, he urged industry players to strengthen the law regarding unlawful mining rather than using military force.

Source: The Independent Ghana