NAIMOS Deploys 50 Officers to Western Region to Fight Galamsey
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) is deploying its first contingent of 50 officers to the Western Region to bolster the fight against illegal mining, commonly known as ‘galamsey.’
The officers will be strategically stationed across the Ahanta West, Wassa Amenfi East municipalities, and the Ellembelle District, with a mandate to oversee operations in other assemblies within the region.
Lieutenant Colonel (Lt. Col.) Joshua Satekla, Deputy Director of Operations at NAIMOS, revealed this during a stakeholder engagement held in Sekondi. The meeting brought together Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), alongside two Regional Police Commanders.
The primary objective of the engagement was to inform the MMDCEs and Police Commanders about NAIMOS’s role in curbing illegal mining and to solicit their support for the newly deployed officers.
Lt. Col. Satekla emphasized the critical importance of the government’s mandate to NAIMOS, stating it was essential for safeguarding the nation’s water bodies and forest reserves from the destructive effects of galamsey. He added, “We are not in to stop mining, but we are there to stop illegal mining and people mining some key priority areas, so there is a need for us to work together to ensure a sustainable environment for all.”
However, Lt. Col. Satekla highlighted significant challenges hindering their efforts. He identified interference from politicians, chiefs, and other influential figures as a major obstacle. “Our two key challenges are interference from influential people, and we have that from the politicians, chiefs and other key stakeholders in the various areas where we have worked,” he stated. “And the other one is logistics, which are big problems that we need to discuss.”
He appealed for the full cooperation of the local assemblies, stressing that a unified approach is vital to effectively combat illegal mining nationwide. The MMDCEs present at the meeting pledged their support and commitment to working alongside NAIMOS to address the galamsey menace in their respective jurisdictions.
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