The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, has said that all illegal miners will be involved in tree planting and other reclamation programmes to help restore lands affected by their illegal activity.
In an interview with Accra-based Citi FM, he said this will also serve as an alternative livelihood for the galamsey operators who have been asked to stop their illegal activities.
He added that those who still want to engage in mining activities will benefit from a 5-year Multilateral Mining Integrated Project (MMIP). This is a livelihood empowerment programme to create an employment avenue for the illegal miners.
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“For those who want to be engaged in the mining activities, they will be absorbed into the MMIP. With the reclamation across this country, it is estimated that about 1.5% of the earth surface has been degraded as a result of this activity. That alone is going to provide jobs for the communities that want to re-engage in reclamation and planting of trees. The MMIP is an attempt to absorb all factory hands engaged in illegal activities to be absorbed back within a period of 5 years where exploration activities will be done in areas that are prospective and these factory hands will be brought here to mine.”
The illegal mining activity has destroyed a number of farmlands and water bodies in the country.
This has led to the media and some government agencies waging war against the act.
However, some galamsey operators have threatened to vote the Nana Addo-led NPP out if their means of livelihood is taken away from them.
But John Peter Amewu has pledged that he will not relent on his effort to fight against galamsey over the fear of losing the votes of illegal miners at the next election.