All changfangs cleared from Ankobra river - NAIMOS Spokesperson

The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) says it has cleared all changfangs from the Ankobra River as part of efforts to halt illegal mining and allow the water body to recover.

NAIMOS spokesperson Paa Kwesi Schandorf said the removal of the equipment was a key sign of progress by NAIMOS as part of the ongoing Operation Water Shield, which targets illegal mining activities on water bodies.

He said progress in restoring polluted rivers should first be assessed by determining whether the activities causing the pollution have stopped.

“Before healing would commence in any particular river body, I think the first thing that we have to look at is whether the bleeding has stopped or not,” he said wile speaking to Accra-based JoyNews on Friday, October 23.

Schandorf explained that the Ankobra River previously had thousands of changfangs operating on it, but NAIMOS operations had cleared them from the waterway.

“If you went to Ankobra now, for example, you would not spot a single changfang on the Ankobra River. Previously, there were thousands of them, but within a period all of them have been cleared because of, again, the combative aggressiveness of NAIMOS,” he said.

He added that removing the equipment would prevent further pollution from galamsey operations and give the river an opportunity to recover naturally.

He further disclosed that NAIMOS had established 13 permanent deployments at locations identified as major illegal mining flashpoints.

He said the continued presence of personnel at these locations was intended to deter illegal miners from returning to the Ankobra River.

"I think it is very important I mention this. As of now, there are 13 permanent deployments by NAIMOS to 13 relevant flashpoints where illegal mining is very prominent.

"Because of that particular stationary deployment, we are not expecting anytime soon, indeed forever for the illegal miners to come to Ankobra river," he added.

Paa Kwesi Schandorf said the deployments formed part of efforts to sustain the gains made under Operation Water Shield and prevent a resurgence of illegal mining activities.