TOMORROW (Thursday), April 20, 2017 will mark the expiration of the twenty-one-day ultimatum given by the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, John Peter Amewu, for all illegal miners, popularly referred to as Galamseyers, to cease operations. What it therefore, means is that after tomorrow any person still caught in engaging in Galamsey will be dealt with drastically according to the laws of this country.
HOWEVER, even before the expiration day, there seems to be some good news. There are reports that some of the illegal mining operators have surrendered their excavators. At least it tells us that we are making progress so far as ending Galamsey is concerned.
OBVIOULSY, there are still many more engaged in the illegality and who will still go ahead and carry out their destructive activities. We have heard negative and defying comments from some illegal miners at the Akwatia Diamond Market in the Eastern Region who are threatening that the clamp down on Galamsey will affect the electoral fortunes of the NPP in the 2020 poll. Others too have questioned what will become of their livelihood if government sees through its resolve to end Galamsey without providing them with no alternative.
TODAY is happy that the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) is not acquiescing to such threats. And we are also delighted with the response by the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Benito Owusu Bio, to such threats by Galamseyers.
ACCORDING to him, “If collapsing Galamsey will make you [illegal miners] vote us out of power that is fine. We know there are well-meaning Ghanaians who will support us in this cause because we are doing this to save our future generations.”
THE deputy minister went on to state that “In 10 years’ time, we are likely to lose our water bodies due to your activities, so I want to state that the NPP government will not relent on its fight to stop Galamsey now. If because of that you will vote us out of power in 2020, so be it.”
TODAY is further delighted that the Akufo-Addo administration is standing up to these illegal miners who are nothing more than a nuisance to our water bodies and environment. Oftentimes what has been lacking when it comes to fighting some of these menaces is the political will.
BUT from the look of things it is seemingly becoming clear that the Akufo-Addo-led government is committed to bringing an end to the harm and destruction the activities of illegal miners have caused our country. This is why Today wants to reiterate its call to the well-meaning individuals and organisations to join the crusade against ending Galamsey.
PRESIDENT Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has made it clear that the fight against Galamsey is not targeted at any group of persons but intended to deal with the destruction of the environment. If for nothing at all, we are all seeing the harmful effects of this illegality on our environment.
THE justifiable fight against Galamsey must continue unabated. This definitely is not the time to relax as we seek to save the future of our river bodies, our environment and our farm lands. We must take the fight to the Galamseyers if they will not lay down their excavators and other mining equipment! That is how we believe we can win this war!
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