The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu, also known as ‘Joe Wise’, has said that persons who engage in illegal mining otherwise known as ‘galamsey’ should be shot and killed.
The lawmaker’s controversial and extreme approach, he says, is the only means to deter people from engaging in the act.
Speaking on Accra-based Asaase Pa radio, the Bekwai legislator recounted his experience with some miners during one of his tours where they breached prospecting permits to mine in unauthorised areas.
“You deserve to be shot if you are caught mining on a water body. There were about 15 changfans with individuals on it at Dunkwa.
“Immediately the patrol team bus arrived to round them all up, they dived into the water. It is difficult to get a hold of them. The best thing to do is to shoot them. The others will be deterred.”
The impact of galamsey on Ghana’s environment has become worse over the years with many calling for a ban on all forms of small-scale mining and a declaration of a state of emergency.
Illegal mining has been pervasive in many mining communities for years with the government paying lip service to it. President Akufo-Addo, in the first term of his administration promised to end the menace by expressing his readiness to put his job on the line.
However, turbidity of water levels have been worsened with the Ghana Water Company sharing the challenges they encounter before treating water for usage. Apart from the increased cost, the Company said it is able to get only 40% of the water it treats due to the turbidity levels that have exacerbated as a result of galamsey.
The water bodies have been polluted with chemicals like mercury and cyanide that are used by the ‘galamseyers’ to extract the gold.
Ghana’s natural resources are also under threat as farmlands and forest reserves are being destroyed by galamseyers to engage in their illegal activities.
According to the Bekwai lawmaker, such radical approach are the only means to get rid of the menace considering the severity of the adverse effect the canker is having on the environment.
He asserts authorisation of the security to shoot illegal miners on sight will be the most effective means to address the matter.
Source:onuaonline.com