The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker, has urged small-scale miners to voice their opposition to public calls for the government to ban small-scale mining.

According to a report by 3news.com, Mireku Duker emphasized that efforts to combat illegal mining should focus on those who mine in river bodies and cause environmental harm, rather than imposing a blanket ban on small-scale mining, which would unfairly affect individuals with legal mining permits.

Addressing community members and traditional leaders at Meretweso, a mining community in the Upper Denkyira East Municipality of the Central Region, during the commissioning of Meretweso community mining, Mireku Duker emphasized the need for responsible mining.

“Small-scale miners arise and speak against the ban of small-scale mining in the country. Anyone mining in river bodies is a destroyer so let’s flush out those people and do responsible mining,” he is quoted to have said.

Reiterating the government’s commitment to combating the galamsey menace, Mireku Duker announced that guards would be deployed to protect river bodies and ensure their cleanliness.

“We are going to have guards to safeguard the destruction of our river bodies to ensure that the rivers are clean from dirt. We have to protect our God-given natural resources,” he added.

Mireku Duker’s comment follows calls from the public, civil society organizations, and others for an immediate ban on mining.

MAG/BB