President Akufo-Addo says he is committed to resuscitating the environment in the country due to illegal mining popularly known as galamsey.

Delivering a speech at a National Dialogue on Small Scale Mining on Wednesday, the President advocated for the protection of lands and plants which have been gravely affected due to galamsey.

While acknowledging the benefits of mining to the country, the President stated that the activity must not be at the expense of Ghana’s much-boasted environment.

“Mining can create jobs, improve livelihoods and generate wealth but it cannot and must not do so at the expense of damaging the very environment that produces the riches.

“We have to acknowledge that Ghana is not only made up only of the humans but it is also made up of the soil, the mountains and valleys, the forests, the rivers, the lakes, the seas and the plants and animal life as well. Without them we humans cannot and will not survive so they also need nurturing,” he said.

The President who expressed worry about the current state of Ghana’s environment stressed that citizens “must adapt to coexist in peace and harmony with nature.”

He stressed that “this is therefore the time to help rejuvenate our lands, the time to take a careful look at how we use the land, the time to revisit our farming and building practices and yes, the time to address the issue of galamsey.”

The President further reaffirmed his commitment to clamping down on illegal mining urging all and sundry to support the fight.

"It is absolutely crucial that the deliberation and consultative dialogue be candid and devoid of partisanship or narrow parochial interest.

"Hopefully, at the end of the day, we should be able to build a broad-based national consensus around the necessity to stamp out the menace of illegal small scale mining and the need to support and grow responsible small scale mining," he said.