By Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Takoradi, May 26, GNA – Sectional Heads and some selected persons within the Blue Water Guards have been taken through security and human rights frameworks to promote safety in the operations.
The blue water guards, a constitution of civilian workforce have been mandated by the minerals commission together with Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to act as whistle blowers.
They would liaise with and provide the security agencies with relevant information on activities of illegal mining in forest and water bodies for swift response.
They would also be taken through the Voluntary Principles to understand the principles and carefully apply in their operations.
The training was under the auspices of the in-country group on Voluntary Principles on Security with support from the Minerals Commission and the Ghana Chamber of Mines.
The in-country group comprised government, extractive companies and Civil Society Organizations and hosted by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
Mr. Albert Yelyang, the Co-Chair of the Principles, and the National Network Coordinator for WANEP said the training was to help in intelligence gathering and cooperation from the securities to be able to identify where such mining illegalities were taken place and share the information on time for action.
“We are looking at the Geneva convention, the 1992 constitution particularly chapter five…we want them to understand the rights of all stakeholders for maximum compliance”.
Mr. Yelyang urged the trainees to use the information very well in line of duty to ensure that the state became the winner against the illegal mining fight.
GNA
Edited by Mildred Siabi-Mensah/Kenneth Odeng Adade