Some religious leaders in the country have suggested to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to as a matter of urgency ban illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) in the country.

According to these religious leaders, the country’s water bodies and their accompanying reservoirs have all been depleted by the activities of illegal miners.

In a meeting with the President on November 1, 2022, at the Jubilee House, the religious leaders, who were alarmed by the operations of illegal miners, explained that banning all forms of mining will go a long way in restoring sanity in galamsey enclaves.

Speaking on behalf of the clergy, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Rt. Rev. Professor Joseph Obiri Mante lamented that differentiating between small-scale mining and galamsey has become a herculean task.

“Now we cannot tell whether those who are doing legal mining have turned out to be illegal, we don’t know which one is galamsey and so on and so forth, we are just wondering if it will be possible to place a ban on all small scale mining. Just to make a statement, we know we get money (from galamsey) but at what cost,” he said during the meeting.

Nefarious activities by illegal miners in the country have become a topical issue, with a section of Ghanaians calling on the President to regulate their activities.