President Akufo-Addo has reaffirmed his commitment to end illegal mining (galamsey) in response to growing concerns from Organised Labour.

This comes after Organised Labour called off their planned nationwide strike which was scheduled for October 10 after demanding immediate government action to halt illegal mining in forest reserves and water bodies.

In a press statement on Wednesday, October 9, President Akufo-Addo said his administration was committed to addressing the galamsey menace.

In implementing urgent measures to tackle the crisis, the president has instructed the Defence Minister to ramp up the military presence in illegal mining areas as part of the ongoing "Operation Halt." 

“The operation aims to stop all mining activities, whether legal or illegal, particularly around water bodies. To strengthen the operation, the President has ordered the deployment of naval boats on polluted rivers to prevent further mining activity,” part of the statement read.

The President has also directed the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to immediately suspend the enforcement of the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, 2023 (L.I. 2462). 

The statement further said the President has set up four specialised courts to deal exclusively with illegal mining cases, noting that the Attorney General has been tasked with working alongside the Chief Justice to increase the number of courts handling such cases. 

To ensure that the fight against illegal mining transcends political cycles, President Akufo-Addo has urged Organised Labour to encourage all presidential candidates and their political parties to sign a national pact. 

“This agreement would commit all political parties to prioritise the fight against galamsey as part of their election promises. The President emphasised that the fight against illegal mining must be a national effort, not a partisan one,” the statement added.