Galamsey taskforce sleep in classrooms

14:25 - 04 September 2017

The Deputy Commander of the task force Operation Vanguard (OV) Chief Superintendent Abraham Acquaye said they are still determined to fight illegal mining despite the challenges.

A major challenge the anti-galamsey taskforce is facing is the lack of accommodation.

This is according to the Deputy Commander of the task force Operation Vanguard (OV) Chief Superintendent Abraham Acquaye.

He told Kumasi-Abusua FM that most of the Operation Vanguard personnel sleep in classrooms.

“We are facing a lot challenges. Sometimes we have to visit mining sites at dawn to stop galamseyers from mining. Some galamseyers mine at night, others mine on water. We don’t have place to sleep. We sleep in classrooms but now that schools are about to open we have to move from the classrooms.”

The “Operation Vanguard” is made up of 400 security men from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and the Police Service.

The team has been divided into three groups to cover the Ashanti, Eastern and Western regions.

They have been asked to stay at their assigned regions until all forms of illegal mining have been stopped.

Despite the challenges they are facing Chief Supt. Abraham Acquaye said Operation Vanguard personnel are still determined to fight against galamsey as the general public and government expects from them.