Former President John Dramani Mahama has criticized the New Patriotic Party government for its inhumane approach to dealing with illegal small-scale mining in the country.
According to him, the government’s deployment of a joint police and military task-force to rid the country of the illegal small-scale miners is counterproductive.
He indicated that the government must make available a livelihood package for the sustenance of unlawful miners after leaving the illegal mining sites.“…it is true that if we don’t do something about it, it will destroy the environment. But we need to apply wisdom. Because we’ve chased young people involved in illegal small-scale mining with soldiers in the past in this country but it didn’t work.”
“But if we put a blanket ban and send soldiers after the young people, that is not the way to go. As you stop illegal small-scale mining, at the same time you must put in place a livelihood package so that as you are displacing people from illegal mining, they have something to do….But when there is nothing to do but you are just chasing them, shooting them, it is not the way to go,” he said.
John Mahama said the government must rather focus its energy on revising the country’s mining laws to regulate the operations of illegal miners rather than forcing them out.
He noted that regulating their work will enable them to make ends meet to provide for their dependents.
“We [NDC] decided that we will bring a new mining law that will regulate galamsey that persons who do it well will be able to sustain themselves…So immediately, the [Akufo-Addo] government must look at these regulations and come up with good policies so that those who want to do it, will do it within the law,” he said.
‘Operations of the anti-galamsey task force.’
The anti-galamsey task-force was deployed to three regions; Ashanti, Western and Eastern about five months ago, to help fight and sustain the campaign against illegal mining, which was started by Citi FM a year ago.
Their operations have resulted in the arrest of illegal miners including foreign nationals, mainly Chinese.
The deployment of the joint police and military task-force came as a major boost to government’s fight against illegal mining in the country, following news of its devastating effects on the country’s land and water resources.
The gov’t ban on small-scale mining
The government placed a six-month ban on all forms of mining until further notice but later extended it indicating that the desired results have not been seen yet.
This is however in spite of appeals from licensed small-scale miners who say the ban is negatively affecting their livelihoods.
Source: citinewsroom.com
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Mr former president anything illegal is against the state laws which must be dealt with.You need good people to coach you, if you still rely on Stan Dogbe,Ofosu Kwakye and those baby with sharp teeth you will always go astray.|Small scale miners are different from illegal miners period
Npp is crying npp is crying npp is crying
Former President of this dear nation needs qualified policy advisers to help him with what he has to say in public. His NDC government failed Ghanaians when we did nothing about the SDG No. 7. I had NDC MPs making public statements that if they tackle the issue of galamsey, their voting members in this illegal business will not vote for them. There are policy instruments, and if the NDC did not have a mix of these instrument, Mr. former President, keep quiet for Ghana to be renewed
Infact this guy called Mahama who was once upon a time president does not deserve a respect one bit.when you left this country in tatters financially still you are making noice all over.to the necessary.Ghanaians are wide awake and will reject the Ndc once again
You said unity march. Your founder says the party is disintegrating, instead of focusing on that, you are are attacking the government. You can keep attacking the government, and you will finally go into the race with not only a lame horse, but a 3 legged one. F00l!sh man. How can you do a unity march and then not talk of party unity? Now everyone knows what these walks are about.
So what does the ndc and their mahama think will help them come to power? Since busing people for free to rally grounds won't help . I always say ndc are just f00*000ls because if busing people will win vote ndc wouldon't be in opposition, this mahama guy de3 he is a disgrace to the presidency for lack of wisdom. He has allowed some people who out of their greediness and selfishness to use him, somebody like Kojo Bonsu, someone whom Asanteman relieved of his post deceiving this ***barred word*** and he is following him, Kojo Bonsu has no respect with his own people so how can John mahama be taking serious no wonder ,you could see from the faces of those f000*000ls taking that st*pid disunity walk as hungry people from somewhere not Kumasi . Who has time for the ndc in Kumasi look at those women none of them has even gh10.00 as a capital but walking for the ndc, they will continue to go hungry even when manna is falling.
This guy called Mahama , is just up to cheap politics and nothing ! What at all on earth did he do when he was the president? Cheap politician!!!
"Apply wisdom huh"? I guess it was wisdom to the highest order when you dashed the Dumelo boy v8 at the expense of hardworking tax payers. Annoying...
It is CLEAR that NDC is nation destroyers. If the country's environment is destroyed, they do not care!
who is this man? he talks like someone suffering from memory loss