Operation Halt II: Soldiers Seize 30 Excavators From Galamseyers

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has revealed that soldiers have seized about 30 excavators after the relaunch of ‘Operation Halt’ to tackle illegal mining (galamsey).

He indicated that the military would take full responsibility for this second phase of ‘Operation Halt’, targeted at mitigating and curbing illegal mining in the country.

“As I speak with you, they have seized close to 30 excavators. It has already begun. It started about two or three days ago, and it’s going to be sustainable. The soldiers are going to go on for as long as it takes. They will decide. They will make those decisions, not me, the minister . . . They will have command and control in terms of when to go, how to go, where to go, and how to go about their operations. All of it will be in the hands of the military. We are responsible for policy, but they will conduct operational implementation,” he said.

Mr Jinapor also said, unlike the previous military operations, which took three months, the second phase of the ‘Operation Halt’ exercise would be a sustained effort until the galamsey menace is brought to a satisfactory situation.

Mr Jinapor pledged the total and unflinching support of the president and the ministry towards fighting the galamsey menace with integrity and transparency without shielding anybody, irrespective of one’s political affiliation or standing in the society.

Meanwhile, the Media Coalition Against Galamsey (MCAG) has called for the immediate arrest, investigation, and prosecution of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.

Chairman Wontumi’s Akonta Mining Company Limited was recently stopped on the minister’s orders from continuing their mining activities in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in blatant violation of Section 99(6) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).