Deputy Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Hon. George Mireku Duker
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has fully taken over the Secretariat of the then Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining(IMCIM).
The takeover follows a Cabinet decision and the subsequent dissolution of the IMCIM earlier this year by H.E President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Inspecting the facility on Monday, 23rd August 2021, in Accra, on behalf of the sector Minister, the Deputy Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Hon. George Mireku Duker, said the secretariat which was used by the IMCIM, going forward, will serve as a Secretariat for one of the yet-to-be introduced flagship project called “National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme” to be rolled out by the government through the Ministry.
He said the take over of the IMCIM secretariat also meant that both assets and liabilities will be handled by the Ministry.
Hon. Duker disclosed that the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme will be chaired by the Finance Minister Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta and will include skills training for the teaming youth across the five mining regions.
These are Ashanti, Eastern, Western, Western North and Central.
Some officials of the erstwhile IMCIM, led by the Accountant, Mr Ebenezer Ansah, conducted the Deputy Minister round the office and a four-story building under construction which is about 80% complete and was intended upon completion to house the Secretariat.