Ghana’s president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has reiterated his commitment to ending the menace of illegal small-scale mining, known commonly as ‘galamsey’, which have contributed to the destruction of the environment.

According to the president, his government has initiated measures against the fight which he believes will significantly go a long way to protect the country’s water bodies and the environment, reports citinewsroom.com.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made this known in a Monday, May 3, 2021, interview on CNN’s Zain’s Exchange.

Additionally, he explained that his government will work with the security agencies like the military to arrest the growing menace and restore the environment to what it was known for.

“We are determined to come to grips with it. In fact, this week, major operations are being authorized by me; the Armed Forces are to clear our rivers of all the equipment, the machinery that is devastating and polluting our environment and waters.

“So, we are taking some very strong measures to try to come to grips with it,” he stressed.

Recently, the Akufo-Addo led government renewed its commitment to the fight against illegal mining during a National Consultative Dialogue on Small Scale Mining.

Stakeholders at the event charged the government to take steps to strictly apply the country’s mining laws, which have since led to a number of actions being taken in that regard, the report added.

Last week, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo deployed 200 military personnel to flush out illegal miners destroying water bodies in the country as part of the government’s latest action to fight galamsey.