Former head of the anti-galamsey taskforce, Brigadier General Daniel K. Mishio, wants the government to name and shame all politicians who are directly or indirectly sponsoring illegal small scale mining.

While lauding the commitment by the Akufo-Addo government to fighting galamsey, he said adopting a naming and shaming approach will further help in the fight.

There have been widespread perception of politicians and influential figures involved in the galamsey business which has ripped the country of its natural environmental cover, farmlands and destroyed river bodies.

A Bureau of National Investigations report revealed some Ghanaian politicians as being the illegal business. Speaking on TV’s Midday live, Brig. Gen. Mishio who served under the late Prof Mills told Wendy Laryea that politicians found to be involved in galamsey must be named and shamed, adding the fight against galamsey requires proper planning.

He observed some of the challenges he and his team faced were lack of funding and the incidents of leaked information to those engaged in the illegal mining activities.

He has thus advised the military-cum-police taskforce deployed to three regions on Monday plan do a strategic planning.

Brig. Gen Mishio noted it would be possible that there are informants among the taskforce for which reason information regarding their operations must be regulated properly.

Earlier in April, he said the fight against galamsey required a well-thought out plan and strong leadership.

Government yesterday deployed about 400 combined forces of Police and military personnel to the Ashanti, Eastern and Western regions to help fight illegal mining in the country in the next 12 months.