SSM taskforce lauds Minister Frimpong Boateng

The Small Scale Miners Taskforce has commended the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, for supporting their activities with logistics.

The items include two pickup vehicles, a speedboat, lifejackets and an outboard motor.

The supply of the logistics, according to Mr Bresi Andoh, Commander of the Taskforce, was in response to an appeal they made to the government for support.

Briefing The Chronicle, Commander Bresi stated that the Taskforce was formed by the Ghana Association of Small Scale Miners in 2012.

The purpose, he said, was to police and coordinate the activities of all the members of the association to ensure that they operated within the confines of the law

“We ensure that our members do not mine in water bodies, banks of rivers, streams and also insist that they did not trespass into the forest reserves,” he added

The Taskforce, he stated, was working with a single pickup despite its important role, which included a quest to end mining in water bodies.

This situation, according to Commander Andoh, was hampering their activities, while de-motivating the members of the force, and incapacitating them.

“Our inability to patrol the water bodies gave rise to the wanton destruction of bodies by some unscrupulous miners,” he explained.

“But we now feel safe and motivated by the support received from the Minister, because they have boosted our morale,” Mr Andoh added.

According to him, “We are now able to patrol and chase all illegal miners dredging and mining in the big rivers, and destroy their equipment.”

“We want to assure Ghanaians that with the help of the speedboat, which facilitates our movement on the water bodies, they will see improvement soon,” he stressed.

Illegal mining activities have sprawled across the length and breadth of the country in recent years, causing wanton destruction to water bodies and forest vegetation.

 

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