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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Such a loose utterance not coming from any other person but a former President Mahama is clearly symptomatic of a desperate politician who has completely lost touch with the electorate in terms of their daring aspiration. The microeconomic indicators of a hardly one-year-old Akufo-Ado Administration are impressively far better than that of eight-year Mahama Regime of incompetence. All respected and responsible Media Houses have praised the commitment of the able Minister to stop the galamsey. And if a former President would stoop too low to come out like a serial caller to say what he said, then it was rather unfortunate and shameful to ever accord himself a status of a Stateman by virtue of his former office.
Incompetent
So Ghana becomes toxic and you will import your drinking water whilst we die? Like Kutu was tough on Galamsey, so will Nana.
Were Ghanaians expecting anything different? Nope
More Unity walks please. We can't wait for the Volta Unity Walk. Ashanti Unity Walk was massive. Well done NDC. Please re-organise for 2020. Can't wait. Go NDC, Go MAHAMA.
The UNITY walk in Kumasi has shaken the NPP beyond words. In fact, they are sweating profusely. NDC we are behind you 100%. 2020 we go show NANA and his Super Incompetent Corrupt govt.
NDC and MAHAMA we are waiting patiently for 2020 to boot out Nana Addo and NPP. They have no vision. So so TALK TALK TALK. No show. MAHAMA all the way. Show them how it is done. Now we know they lied to GAHANAIANs to get voted into power. We have seen that they can't do the work. Please come back, MAHAMA and NDC.
MAHAMA, please keep telling this SUPER INCOMPETENT NPP the truth. We are all behind you.
This "john" mahama is still INCOMPETENT even in opposition
MAHAMA, you will forever be the former president of Ghana. Thanks