The Executive Director of Eco-Conscious Citizens, Awula Serwah, has urged President John Dramani Mahama to publicly reaffirm the legal requirements governing mining, warning that recent comments by Ghana Gold Board Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi risk sending the wrong signal to small-scale miners.
She says the government must make it clear that no one is permitted to undertake mining without the appropriate licence and other regulatory approvals, amid ongoing efforts to clamp down on illegal mining.
Awula Serwah warned that any suggestion that miners could operate without the necessary authorisation could weaken the work of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and other groups fighting irresponsible mining.
She said illegal mining continues to pose serious threats through the pollution of water bodies, destruction of forest reserves and loss of agricultural land.
She also stressed that a mining licence is essential to ensure operators work only in approved areas, adding that securing one does not necessarily mean all other regulatory conditions have been met.
Depending on the operation, miners may also require permits from the Environmental Protection Agency and approvals from relevant water authorities.
Speaking to Channel One TV on Monday, October 26, she said the President should assure the public that the government was not endorsing unlawful mining.
“The President should come out and let Ghanaians know that they are not encouraging lawlessness, and anybody who wants to mine must first obtain a licence,” she said.
She further cautioned that encouraging mining without a licence could amount to a criminal offence, insisting that the law must be respected as the country intensifies efforts to address the environmental damage caused by illegal mining.