President Akufo-Addo has said galamsey has of late become a topical subject matter because of the effort of his government in stopping it.
He was speaking in the Volta Region as part of a tour that saw him address the Ghana Bar Conference in the regional capital, Ho.
The President said his effort against galamsey has borne fruits for all to see.
“The efforts have brought a lot of fruits first of all. Galamsey is now a subject of national discussion. Everywhere you go, there’s this matter of galamsey. We’ve at least achieved this purpose of heightening consciousness about it as an evil”, he said.
When I came, nobody was talking about galamsey. Since we came and focused on it, it is now the subject of discussions in homes, in offices, in meetings and all across Ghana. So that’s one positive development”, he added.
The President said under his leadership, the punishment for galamsey was stiffer than before.
We have concerted to work at it. We need to have the cooperation of the courts. Until recently when I came, the punishment for people caught was relatively light. [But] we’ve changed the law to stiffen the punishment for people caught,” he explained.
On Aisha Huang, the President said he didn’t believe she was deported.
“I’m not still sure whether she was in fact deported. Or whether she fled the country the first time and has now come back. There still seems to be some uncertainty about it.”
The President said this time around, the laws will deal with her.
