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
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
Fooooooooooolìsh man !!!
WHAT STOPED YOU AND YOUR GOVERNMENT FROM IMPLEMENTING WHAT YOU ARE SUGGESTING NOW? DEFICIENCY IN TAKING CRUCIAL DECISIONS OR SHEER INCOMPETENCE? FROM YOUR OWN LIPS SOMETIME AGO, THAT WHEN YOU ARE NOT ON THE FIELD OF PLAY, YOU TEND TO HAVE MORE COACHES ON THE SIDE LINE WHO HAVE NEVER KICKED A BALL BEFORE, REMEMBER THAT? WHAT A SHAME! YOU AND YOUR GOVERNMENT LOOKED ELSEWHERE BY ALLOWING THE INFLUX OF CHINESE AND CANADIANS TO PLUNDER THE MINING SECTOR AND THE ENVIROMENT AND PUTING THE LIVES OF GHANAIANS IN CERTAIN DANGER AND YOU'ER NOW PRESCRIBING AN ALTERNATIVE WHEN EMINENT DANGER BY YOUR MALADMINISTRATION HAS PUT INCUBENT GOVERMENT AND THE ENTIRE NATION ON A BLEEK FUTURE..B3 YOU DEY CAMPAIGN FOR 2020 UNDER THE COVER OF HEALTH AND FITNESS WALK AND GAINING UNDUE ADVANTAGE OVER YOUR COMPETITORS? WE DEY WAIT FOR YOU...THE HUMILIATION YOU GO SUFFER WILL FINALLY DISINTEGRATE THE NDC. FORMER PRESIDENTS SELDOM OPENS THEIR MOUTHS..WHEN THEY DO, IT IS WITH WISDOM AND CIRCUMSPECTION....TOO LOQUASCIOUS....TALKATIVE THAT PRETS AND FRETS OVER THE GHANAIAN POLITICAL STAGE WITH FALSE PRETENCES AND HOLOW STANCE SIGNIFYING NOTHINK...WE DEY WAIT FOR YOU STIFF NAKED DUDE!
It is/was the same soldiers who chased people in 1079 and 1982 to form you a party/government that has made you a leader to talk out of bel*ly. You don't reason when you talk.
You sat down at the seat of government whiles foreigners and locals destroyed our land and water bodies.The national security could not create a data base of those involved and the properties those people own.Most of our rural areas r farmers ,instead of concentrating on cocoa and other crops u brought in opuni who did his worse now no one wants to farm because you kept quiet whiles the greedy had thier field s day.If I was the president I will make galamsey an offence like smuggling illegal drugs to Singapore and been caught.
He didn't say that, did he? Wow,shine ur eyes Ghanaians.
he thinks they will vote for him
MR EX-PRESIDENT PLEASE IN YOUR VIEW WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BEST ALTERNATIVE IN CHASING OUT ILLEGAL MINER? AS I ALWAYS SAY 'SILENCE IS GOLDEN' AT TIMES IT IS BETTER TO KEEP QUITE THAN TO TALK TO COMMIT YOURSELF. WE ALL LIKE YOU AS AN EX-PRESIDENT BUT NOT AS A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE.......STAY BLESS
***barred word*** comments coming from an ex president! Its heartbreaking and sickening how these politicians talks when they are in opposition. something must be wrong with his head. no wonder the Chinese were rampantly degrading and destroying our environment during ur watch. i am highly disappointed!!!!