Vice President Dr Mahamadu Bawumia has praised the Land and Natural Resources Minister, John Peter Amewu, over his fight against illegal mining (galamsey).

“John Peter Amewu is a gem, a gem of the Gbi state, he is a gem for the Volta Region and a gem of Ghana as a whole,” he said.

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He continued: “The work that Peter Amewu is doing with Nana Akufo-Addo and the government is the work that you voted for Nana to do. So we ask the people of the Gbi State and the people of Ghana as a whole to continue praying for Nana Akufo Addo and the government because we are going to do great things for this country."

Bawumia said the rebuilding of the Ghanaian economy will not be possible without Mr Amewu and the work he is doing at the Land and Natural Resources Minister.

"The creation of this new economy that we have embarked on cannot be possible without the support of John Peter Amewu and the work he is doing and is going to do in the Ministry of Lands and Natural resources," he said.

“As a government, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo wants you to know that he is engaged daily in the business for which you elected him.

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The event, which was organised by the Gbi state, was to celebrate the Mr Amewu's appointment as a minister and his quest to end galamsey.

The chief of Gbi, Togbega Gabusu, threw his weight behind the fight against galamsey as well as pledging his support to the government