The joint military and police task force on illegal mining (galamsey), code-named, Operation Vanguard has held a religious parade to mark 100 days of deployment.

There special service took place at the task force headquarters at Wawasi, Obuasi, in the Ashanti Region.

Operations Commander, Colonel William Agyepong, charged troops to be national ambassadors and act as liaison with government and other stakeholders in the fight against galamsey.

Government’s resolve to end illegal mining was given a boost with the deployment of security personnel to three regions considered the most affected by the menace.

 Operation Vanguard was launched at Burma Camp in Accra with 400 security men made up of personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and the Police Service.

They were divided into three groups to cover the Ashanti, Eastern and Western Regions.

Colonel Agyepong asked the task force to protect communities under their operation.

“We have to be reminded that personnel have been specially chosen as a reliable and capable force to help stop the unbridled degradation and indiscriminate exploitation of the land,” he emphasised.

 “We thank God for how far He has brought us, 100 days in operation have been successful with the mighty arms of God protecting us. I commit the personnel, command and the entire operation of the task force into God’s hands for the rest of our operations,” Colonel Agyepong ended with a prayer.

The church service was officiated by Reverend Lieutenant  C.B. Agyepong Chaplain of the Church of Pentecost and Imam Sheik Nkansah both from 4 Garrison in Kumasi.

In his exhortation, Imam Abdallah Adam,  of the Armed Forces Recruit Training Centre at Shai Hills, charged the task force to eschew wrongdoing and exercise care in their operations. He encouraged them to bear in mind the assignment they are working on is a national call.

Similar parades were held in the Eastern and Western Regions. In the Eastern Region, Rev Father Major Francis Agyemang and Imam Abdallah Adam officiated

The Western Region service was officiated by the clergy from Western Naval Command, Anglican Chaplain of the 2 Infantry Battalion, Rev Annan Forson and Sheik Saeed Mohamed Misbah.

The clergy in their homily reiterated that the operation of the task force will be successful because God has a hand in their work.