The chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Task force charged to halt illegal mining Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng has said any attempt to impede the force from exercising its mandate will be fiercely resisted.
“My advice to aggrieved associations or groups of people is that they should not attempt to stampede, obstruct or use any unlawful means to prevent this task force from exercising its mandate,” he warned.
According to him, the operation is about “our heritage as a people and the security of future generations” with the objective of protecting lives and property but not to destroy.
Urging the force to be guided by professionalism and their conscience, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng who is also the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), stressed further that “any attempt at impeding the work of the taskforce will be met with requisite force.”
He was speaking at the launch of a joint military and police taskforce code named “Operation Vanguard” as part of the government’s escalation of its fight against illegal mining.
In all 400 officers are being deployed and that it is the first phase of a long-term campaign to protect mining sites.
According to Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, the taskforce will remain in the illegal mining sites until degraded lands and rivers are restored and reforestation programme undertaken.
Thereafter, he added a team made up of personnel from the Ghana Navy and Marine Police will take over the monitoring of the major rivers and water bodies until illegal activities are completely eradicated.
“This may take several months and perhaps years,” he said.
