Lands and Natural Resources Minister Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has charged the new Director of Operations for the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat, Col. S.A. Appiah, to restore Ghana’s polluted water bodies.
Speaking at the NAIMOS handing-over ceremony, Mr. Buah told Col. Appiah and his team to ensure Ghana’s rivers “become blue again.”
He urged them to strengthen intelligence gathering and adopt innovative approaches to make their operations more effective.
The Minister said Ghanaians have full confidence in NAIMOS to safeguard river bodies and protect forest reserves. He directed the unit to deal decisively with persons destroying rivers and forests through illegal mining, or galamsey.
Mr. Buah assured NAIMOS of President John Mahama’s commitment to providing logistics to tackle illegal miners. He also conveyed the President’s gratitude to NAIMOS personnel for their sacrifice and dedication in defending the country at the expense of time with their families.
Appiah thanked the Minister for the confidence reposed in him and commended his predecessor, Col. Dominic Buah, for his service.“The destruction of our forests, pollution of our rivers, and degradation of our lands continue to pose existential threats not only for the present generation but also for those yet unborn,” Col. Appiah stated.
He pledged to strengthen operational effectiveness, enhance interagency cooperation, and improve intelligence-led operations. He said NAIMOS will focus on producing measurable results in protecting natural resources.Col.
Appiah added that the fight against illegal mining cannot be won by enforcement agencies alone. NAIMOS will work closely with local communities, traditional authorities, regulatory agencies, and development partners.
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat was established to coordinate the government’s clampdown on galamsey and protect water bodies and forest reserves nationwide.