The District Chief Executive (DCE) of Ellembelle, Francis Kwasi Bonzah, has bemoaned the spate of illegal mining activities across the country.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, he stated that the situation “is becoming so much prevalent that even the communities are beginning to accept it” as a norm.

According to him, when it gets to that stage, then the fight against galamsey would be difficult.

Mr Bonzoh, therefore, urged for the attention to be on how to bring an end to the canker than to point out names of officials involved in the act.

“It must be nice with the name-calling but I don’t think that we should be focused with the name-calling. Let us look at the solution; the problems we all know but what are the solutions?” he asked.

He suggested the enforcement of laws such as the Minerals and Mining Act as a means to deal with the mining issues in the country.

His comment comes in the wake of a leaked 2021 report authored by former Environment Minister, Prof Frimpong Boateng naming some individuals he claimed hindered his efforts and the committee he chaired in addressing the canker.

The report also cited a number of government officials and public officials allegedly involved in ‘galamsey’ activities in the country. But some of the officials cited in the report have responded to the report in an attempt to clear themselves from wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, one of the names in the report who is a Lawyer and member of the New Patriotic Party, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has sued former Environment Minister, Prof Kwabena Frimpong Boateng for defamation and is demanding GH¢10m in damages.

A libel suit filed by Gabby against Prof. Frimpong-Boateng accused the latter of defamation in his controversial report on activities of the erstwhile Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, and apart from “The sum of GH¢10 million as General Damages including Aggravated and/or Exemplary Damages for Defamation for libel”, Gabby also wants him to apologise for and retract his words.

He also asks for an order for a perpetual injunction to restrain Prof Frimpong-Boateng, “whether by himself, his servants, agents or assigns from repeating similar or other defamatory words” against him (Gabby)."