The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has underscored the critical role of the media in combating illegal small-scale mining menace, otherwise known as “galamsey”.

The Minister, during a meeting with News Editors and senior journalists from some major media houses in the country in Accra, on Monday, advocated the need for decisive, inclusive, and radical solutions to the galamsey phenomenon.

The engagement was intended to demystify the complexities of illegal mining and rally media support to address the menace, particularly around water bodies and forest reserves.

The meeting coincided with a report of an attack on Forestry Commission officers.

The Minister provided a detailed overview of the galamsey situation inherited by the Mahama administration and measures he had taken since assuming office to tackle them.

He said upon taking office, nine forest reserves had already been captured by illegal miners and highlighted alarming statistics on water pollution.

Noting that turbidity levels in water treated by the Ghana Water Company Limited ranged between 5,000 and 12,000 NTU, more than 10 times the permissible point (500 NTU) for water treatment.

“The scale of land degradation was equally staggering, with illegal mining consuming an area equivalent to 7,500 football fields,” he added.

Mr Armah-Kofi Buah outlined the government’s policy measures to curb and ultimately eradicate illegal mining, a strategy built on five key pillars:

Enforcement of Existing Laws – Strengthening collaboration with law enforcement agencies to intensify crackdowns.

Under Structural Overhaul, he said teams would be reshuffled to man the sites and forest areas to prevent complacency and buffer the existing force to ensure adequate cover in all areas.

On stakeholder engagement, the Ministry would involve traditional leaders and local authorities and the District Security Councils in the licensing process for prospective small-scale miners.

Under technology deployment, the government would establish a monitoring system to track mining equipment and activities in real time.

Under public sensitisation, it would work with the media to raise awareness to foster collective responsibility in the fight against galamsey.

The Minister identified flaws in the current licensing system as a major enabler of illegal mining. “The centralized process excluded traditional rulers and local government officials, thus weakening oversight.

To address that, he said, the government was decentralising the licensing regime, ensuring that traditional authorities and District Security Councils became the first point of approval for mining permits.

Mr Armah-Kofi Buah urged the media to remain vocal and objective in the fight against galamsey, cautioning against politicizing the issue and emphasized the media’s role as the fourth estate of the realm calling for their active support in amplifying government efforts.

The media practitioners commended the Minister for the engagement and pledged to use their platforms to bolster the fight against illegal mining.