Galamsey Menace: Mahama orders security capos to revise strategy

The Presidency has directed all the Security agencies to review their strategies toward dealing with illegal mining in Ghana.

The directive was issued at a meeting at the Flagstaff House on Friday, May 10, 2013 to review the country’s security situation following a series of major fire disasters in the capital Accra and two separate incidents of gruesome murders in the Ashanti region.

Two local miners in Obuasi were allegedly shot and killed by rival Chinese illegal gold miners on Thursday May 9.

Two Chinese are in the custody of the Ghana Police over the killings. They have, however, denied the shooting.

In the same region, two young men were brutally butchered and shot dead by a rival gang at Ashtown, a suburb of Kumasi on Wednesday.

Concerning the rising spate of fire outbreaks in the country, the Presidency directed the Police and Fire Outfits to increase their presence and surveillance in markets as part of measures toward checking fire outbreaks.

Major market, Kantamanto in Accra was gutted by fire on Sunday May 5. The disaster happened just two days after a mega slum, Sodom & Gomorrah, in the national capital was also gutted.

Parts of the Makola market, also in Accra caught fire but was quickly doused by fire officials. Thousands of traders and squatters were affected in the outbreaks.

Friday’s high-level security meeting sought to address all such incidents which could pose a threat to Ghana’s national security.

The meeting was attended by the Chief of Defence Staff and his service commanders; the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the Ghana Prisons Service, the Director of Immigration and the Chief Fire Officer.

The Chief of Staff, Prosper Bani, and the National Security Coordinator, Lt. Col. Larry Gbevlo-Lartey (Rtd.) were present.