President John Dramani Mahama has announced the launch of the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development (RCMS) programme.

He explained the programme was aimed at restoring degraded lands, supporting legal mining, and providing alternative livelihoods.

The programme is necessitated by the prevalence of rampant illegal mining or galamsey.

On the pressing matter, the president admitted that while enforcement measures such as arrests and equipment seizures had seen some progress, communication remained the missing link.

“We must go beyond enforcement. Without communication, mobilisation, and community ownership, enforcement cannot succeed,” he stressed, adding that government will hold nationwide dialogues with civil society, traditional leaders, and faith-based groups.

Opinions are currently divided on whether or not a state of emergency should declared over galamsey. 

While the Minority in Parliament, religious leaders, and civil society groups press for a state of emergency, the Dormahene, Dr Nana Freduah Agyemang Badu II, when he was sworn-in yesterday as a Justice of the Court of Appeal, asserted it was not necessary, after observing considerable progress in the fight against the menace.