The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Tarkwa-Nsuaem, Ebenezer Cobbinah, has called for a national consensus and a holistic approach to tackling illegal mining, stressing that punitive measures alone cannot end the menace.
Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Cobbinah emphasised that the fight against galamsey must prioritise alternative livelihoods for the thousands of Ghanaians engaged in small-scale mining.
“We must take a holistic decision as a nation towards this fight. These miners have families and must survive, so we must engage the large-scale mining companies to help take them off the waterbodies and regulate their activities,” he said.
Mr. Cobbinah outlined government’s efforts to address the situation through skills training and job creation initiatives.
“We have started apprenticeship programmes to support the youth. Just a few weeks ago, we undertook fruit juice processing training for Tarkwa-Nsuaem youth in partnership with the MasterCard Foundation, the Assembly, and the MP,” he disclosed.
He lauded President John Mahama’s cooperative mining initiative as a “step in the right direction” and urged stakeholders to rally behind its implementation to provide small-scale miners with a legitimate and sustainable source of income.
“Since the Mahama and NDC government came into power, we haven’t slept or shied away from galamsey. We are doing our best, but the miners keep going back. This means we must think outside the box. We can fight galamsey, but it will take time,” Mr. Cobbinah acknowledged.
President Mahama recently underscored the need for a long-term solution to the galamsey challenge, warning that the livelihoods of nearly four million Ghanaians are directly tied to small-scale mining.
He cautioned that banning galamsey without providing alternative jobs would worsen poverty and push illegal miners back to the sites.
Mr. Cobbinah echoed this concern, insisting that with sustained commitment, adequate logistics, and viable livelihood interventions, Tarkwa-Nsuaem and the rest of Ghana can overcome the fight against illegal mining.
Source: Gertrude Otchere
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