The Ghana Armed Forces succeeded in the task handed it by the government in the fight against illegal mining popularly referred to as galamsey, Dominic Nitiwul, the Minister of Defence-designate has said.

Answering a question by Mahama Ayariga if the military was successful in the fight against the canker, Nitiwul rejected the claims by Member of Parliament that the military failed.

According to him, the army acted in the interest of the public and ensured that the galamsey activities were reduced.

He revealed that he decided to recall the military officers from the galamsey sites because his assessment of the situation proved that gains had been made.

“I don’t agree when you say military has failed us in galamsey fight. We know the extent to which has consumed the country and the military stepped in to do what they needed to do. I asked the military to move out because I felt they have achieved what they needed to,” Nitiwul submitted.

He also called for some circumspection when discussing the galamsey issue.

He noted that small-scale mining by local folks is not harmful compared to galamsey.

“Galamsey has been with us for a long time but it is the nature of the current system where use excavators to destroy our water bodies. For our local people who use hoes and cutlass to mine, its normal,” he explained.