The President of the Central Regional House of Chiefs, Obrempong Nyanful Krapah XI, has appealed to the government’s task force on illegal mining known as Operation Vanguard not to burn the excavators being used by the ‘galamsey’ operators in the country.

He said: “These excavators can be given to the various district assemblies in the country for their developmental projects and to reclaim destroyed lands rather than burning them.

Obrempong Nyanful Krapah XI made the appeal when a delegation from the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs paid a courtesy call on him as part of a tour to the Central Region.

He expressed confidence in the government’s ability to tackle the ‘galamsey’ menace, noting that the government was not worried by threats from alleged illegal miners to vote against the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the next election.

He gave assurance that the traditional council and the chiefs in the region would give the government the needed support to succeed in the fight against the illegal mining in the country.

The Central Regional Police Commander COP David Neenyi Ampah Bennin, in his remarks, stated that the Central Regional Police Command had formed a team of about 50 police personnel and 20 navy officers to help fight ‘galamsey’ in the region.

He explained that the Ghana Police Service was always ready to support the chiefs and the public in the fight against galamsey, which threaten the survival of the state.

Deputy Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Paul Essien, in his address, explained that the visit to the region was to solicit the support of traditional leaders in the fight against ‘galamsey’ in the region and the country as large.

He expressed worry about how the illegal miners have polluted water bodies and destroyed arable lands, as well as threaten the security of the country with their unregulated activities.

Mr Essien said many illegal miners have also lost their lives in pits, adding that their activities must be regulated.

He indicated that the one-district, one-factory policy being implemented by the government would help provide employment to the youth in the country.

The Deputy Minister appealed to the chiefs and traditional leaders to help the government to achieve its goals in the fight against ‘galamsey.’

The Deputy Central Regional Minister, Thomas Agyei Baffour, who accompanied the team from the ministry, urged the chiefs to support government’s efforts at educating members of the various communities on the effects of ‘galamsey.’