Private Legal Practitioner and Lecturer at the Ghana School of Law, Bobby Banson has said that placing hope in political talks on the fight against illegal mining will not bring an end to the menace.

Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile on Saturday, he said, "If we rely on the words of politicians for hope, we will never get anywhere."

He added that, over the years, various branches of government have initiated policies and enacted laws to combat the menace, yet no results have been achieved.

"Over the past four years, there have been numerous efforts by the legislature, policies or directives from the Chief Justice, and pronouncements from the executive. Every arm of government has taken steps to curtail or stop this menace, but we see that, over time, it has not diminished."

He opined that the challenge can only be tackled by those directly connected to the practice, such as traditional rulers and their subjects.

"It is not enough to sit in front of the TV, hold press conferences, or tell your people that the law prohibits this. The law, specifically Section 8 of the Criminal Procedure Code, allows citizens to arrest those caught in the act of committing an offence. Organise your people and arrest these individuals – you outnumber them."

He added that traditional rulers should be empowered to combat the menace, saying, "Why can't the chiefs be empowered or feel empowered? They were not voted into office, and I’m not saying the state has no role. But we have relied on the state for far too long, and we are seeing no results. So, why can't the chiefs assume this role?"

Recently, President John Mahama cautioned government officials not to involve themselves in small-scale mining, warning that those found doing so would face severe sanctions.

Meanwhile, JoyNews environmental journalist Erastus Asare Donkor reported that some members of the NDC are still involved in the practice in certain reserve forests.