A former Deputy Minister of Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has called on the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service not to use the restoration of the environment caused by illegal mining activities as vengeance on the murder of Major Maxwell Mahama.
The NDC man said “while we make efforts to restore the environment, we cannot kill the citizens” because of what some group of people mistakenly did to their colleague soldier months ago.
Four illegal miners were found dead in a river at Kwarbeng in the Atiwa District of the Eastern Region over the weekend.
Residents alleged the four were brutalized to death by the Operation Vanguard task force during a confrontation at the mining site.
The Operation Vanguard has denied killing the four miners.
The Atiwa Youth Association has called for thorough police investigations, hinting that the deaths may not be as a result of the anti-galamsey taskforce.
Mr. Kwakye Ofosu told TV3’s New Day host Bright Nana Amfoh on Monday that “killing cannot become the way of solving galamsey”.
He said “the Operations Vanguard cannot become way where war is waged against the citizens because some people mistakenly killed an army officer.”
Member of Parliament for Effutu Constituency Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin also said: “In our quest to enforce the laws on citizens, we must be mindful of individuals involved. We sometimes think they have reasons to apply the law, but I will beg to ask, was it really the case that minimum force was applied?”
“The fact that we want to address galamsey does not mean we should breach the Constitution of Ghana which enshrines every Ghanaian the right to live,” he added.
“I will fight against any efforts to kill innocent soul and I believe that this matter must be properly addressed.”
Lawyer Afenyo-Markin said “the President wants them to stop galamsey and not killing innocent souls”.
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