Ghana’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has assented to the amended Mining and Mineral law which prescribes stiffer sentence to people who engaged in illegal mining popularly called ‘Galamsey’.
The amended law gives offenders between 15 to 25 years prison sentence.
President Akufo-Addo announced this when members of the Council of State led by its Chairman, Nana Otuo Serebour II, Paramount Chief of Asante Juabeng, visited Jubilee House to present its second report to the President.
The meeting with the Council of state forms part of quarterly arrangements with the President to brief him on the work of the council.
At the last meeting the council recommended to the President to review charges at the country’s port.
They were grateful to the President for listening to their advise.
Nana Otuo Serebour said the Council is impressed with the work of the Electoral commission and is vindicated by the supporting the choice of the President for the Chair of the EC.
Nana Otuo Serebour said the Council met with EC Commisioners and members were happy with the depth of work.
Nana Otuo Serebour catalogued some work of the 7th Council since its inception.
President Akufo-Addo assured the council that his government will continue to heed to advise the Council.
On issues raised by the council of state on the need to have a disciplined state, President Akufo-Addo announced appending his signature to the amended law o the Minerals and Mining Act.
He was worried about lenient sentences meted out to people who engage in legal mining.
He said this prompted government to amend the law to make illegal mining unattractive especially to foreigners.
President Akufo-Addo spoke about reforms at the banking sector disclosing that government spent more than 13 billion Ghana cedis on the first clean up of the sector.
He again called for strengthening of the regulatory bodies.
The Council presented the second copy of its report to the President.
Story filed by GBC’s Bright Ntramah
