Western Regional Minister Joseph Nelson has called on residents of Samreboi and surrounding communities to actively support the fight against illegal mining, warning that government efforts alone will not be enough to tackle the growing environmental destruction caused by galamsey activities.
The minister appealed during a visit to victims of the recent floods in Samreboi, where more than 1,340 residents were displaced after the River Tano overflowed its banks, destroying homes, farms and personal belongings.
Addressing affected residents, Nelson linked the flooding to illegal mining activities along the river and urged communities to play a more active role in protecting water bodies and the environment.
“Government alone cannot deal with it. We’ll have to rally everybody, including the media and community members, to come on board,” he said.
The minister questioned why many residents often remain silent while illegal mining activities take place in their communities, only to express concern after environmental disasters occur.
“When something is happening here and you don’t rise up against it, how do we get it resolved?” he asked.
According to him, the recent floods should serve as a warning and motivate communities to resist and report illegal mining operations before more damage is done.
“Together we have to stand up against illegal mining, especially on our river bodies, so that we’re able to stem some of these happenings going into the future,” he stated.
Nelson noted that the full scale of the destruction caused by the floods is yet to be assessed, stressing that many victims have lost homes, property and sources of livelihood.
“You cannot even quantify the damage that has been done to the individuals here in terms of their properties, their buildings and the items in them. Some perhaps have even lost money and a lot of things,” he lamented.
The minister reiterated that preventing similar disasters in the future would require collective action involving government, traditional leaders, community members, the media and other stakeholders.
“How do we avoid these things? We can only avoid them if we take a firm decision. That decision government has already taken, but it will need the support of everybody,” he added.
The floods, which affected several communities within the Samreboi enclave, have reignited concerns about the impact of illegal mining on Ghana’s water bodies and environment, with renewed calls for stronger enforcement measures to curb galamsey activities across the country.
