Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation has recommended that illegal miners’ excavators be burned as a threat to those involved in the nuisance.
Under the Kufuor administration, the former Lands and Natural Resources Minister clarified that this was the only path to reduce illegal mining since such policies have struggled in the past.
Dr. Afriyie, who is also the MP for Sefwi Wiawso, told Umaru Sanda Amadu on Citi TV’s Face to Face that the practice of utilizing excavators seized from illegal miners for other ventures could not be tolerated.
He indicated that the government should cover any penalties incurred by the excavators being destroyed indefinitely rather than allowing them to be reused.
“We have to live within the confines of the statute. That is why I am in favor of destroying the excavators right away. The excavators should not be brought into town. The corruption begins as the excavators are used for other tasks. We live in a legal government, but if you grab them right now and hand them over to the Sefwi Wiawso Regional Office, they can file a court injunction against you. You should be informed that you are unable to use it [for other purposes] due to pending lawsuits. I instructed the government to destroy [the excavators] on the spot and allow the owners to sue the government. We will compensate if we lose the case,” he said.
In response to poachers’ actions, he cited the destruction of rhino horns and elephant tusks in Kenya, adding, “If you [engage in] poaching and the government [discovers] a room of rhino horns and elephant tusks, they burn it.”
Dr. Kwaku Afriyie claims that in the war against galamsey, the demolition of guns confiscated from suspects or unauthorised consumers can be repeated with excavators.
Read Also: We can’t sanction #FixTheCountry demo due to public gathering restrictions – Police
“Why don’t we distribute small weapons like the AKA 47 to the troops but burn them when we [the government] have them? We’ve tried everything [against galamsey], but nothing has worked. This is my own stance, not that of the government. They can burn the excavators in the forest if they have them. The others will come and talk if we burn about four excavators. I’ve seen that before with chainsaw operators: criminals get past the rule when you seize them, then when the legislation catches up with you, you’ll have to unlock it.”
He acknowledged that the NPP had faced defeats in its battle against galamsey, but he was willing to risk his seat to ensure that the fight was won.
“It’s fine with me if I don’t run again or if the NPP loses in Sefwi Wiawso. Since we are fighting galamsey, we are ready to forfeit the seat,” he added.
SOURCE: ATLFMONLINE
