Story: News Desk 

The Executive Chairman of Jonah Capital, Sir Sam Jonah, has stated that the fight against illegal gold mining, popularly known as galamsey, cannot succeed without the active involvement of traditional leaders.

His comments come amid mounting pressure from civil society groups and other stakeholders urging the government to declare a state of emergency in mining hotspots to confront the menace.

Speaking during a fireside chat organised by the School of Communications Studies at the University of Wisconsin in Accra, the renowned businessman noted that the problem was not the absence of legislation but the failure of authorities to enforce existing laws.

“The laws are there; don’t mine in forest reserves, and when you do, you have to clean it up. So, it is not that we need more laws; it is the case that we need more enforcement.“You can only enforce when there is an important element that is missing in all of it, which is the involvement of traditional leaders and the community,” he said