The former Environment Lands and Natural Resources Minister has pointed to a well-oiled network of Chinese influence that is determined to keep the galamsey business booming for their own benefit.

According to Inusah Fuseini a high-powered Chinese delegation had the courage to attempt to bribe him with the sponsorship of his child to the best schools in order to allow them to continue mining.

Speaking on The Pulse on JOYNEWS, Monday, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini said he refused the offer of a bribe and did as much as he could to fight the galamsey menace which has destroyed the country's water bodies and the environment as a whole.

He is, therefore, demanding a "ruthless enforcement of the law" as the first step towards fighting the canker.

He also pointed out the need to decentralize the solution to the problem, explaining that the districts must be given the primary responsibility to fight the galamsey and protect the natural resources.

He said the president must make the fighting of galamsey a key performance indicator for the District Chief Executives and sack them if they fail to fight the canker.

The former minister was contributing to the new campaign being launched by the current Minister of Environment to fight the illegal small scale mining.

Galamsey, a jargon for illegal small scale mining in Ghana has assumed alarming proportions in Ghana.

Even though it has a direct impact on trading activities, provision of employment and increases the disposal income its negative impact is disastrous.

Galamsey causes severe land degradation, deforestation, air pollution, water pollution, and noise pollution.

With the Chinese miners involved together with support from local miners, the country's water bodies are becoming increasingly toxic for human consumption.

John Peter Amewu the new minister in charge of Environment has launched a campaign with a 16-day ultimatum for all small scale miners to stop the illegal small scale mining.

Inusah Fuseini said the plan by the Minister to reduce the funding source as a way to fighting the menace will not work and called for swift military action.

A Chinese illegal miner in police grips

But in a response, John Peter Amewu said military intervention without a plan will fail miserably.

"That is what the NDC did when it was in power and they failed. The immediate deployment of the military without planning is not the way to go," he said, adding, we need to get the formula and planning right before we intervene.

He said they have initiated a national policy on the fight against galamsey which is more sustainable and durable in the quest to fighting the canker.