The president of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo has launched an Alternative Empowerment and Livelihood Programme for people who have over the years engaged in illegal mining popularly referred to as galamsey.
This initiative seeks to help eradicate the hardships of those affected by Government’s efforts to sanitize the mining industry.
In a post sighted by Mynewsafric.com on the twitter page of the President indicates that the programme will provide 220,000 jobs to ‘Galamseyers’ especially youth in the affected communities, which will include jobs from land reclamation.
The National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP) will mitigate the unavoidable hardships on illegal miners following Government’s heightened drive to deal with illegal mining.
“Given that most our degraded lands are due to illegal mining activities, it is very fitting that any programme targeting illegal should include a reclamation portion. This competent of the programme will restore degraded lands into economically viable lands, creating job opportunities for the youth, landowners and communities at large”, the post stated.
The President’s post also stated that “The initiative is also a comprehensive approach to tackling this canker which also demonstrates our commitment to social solidarity and harmony, requires that while working with the security agencies for the protection and proper utilization of our natural resources, we fashion alternative means of Livelihood for those affected by the crackdown”.
The President insisted that the initiative will provide good economic livelihood options to illegal mining and its associated activities, while enabling those adversely impacted the opportunity to work and support themselves and their families.
Regional Coordinating Councils and Municipal and District Assemblies in areas where the NAELP will be implemented have been urged by the President to give their full support.
The programme was launched on Monday, October 25, 2021 at the auditorium of the George Grant University of Mines and Technology.
