Aircraft far better than drones in galamsey fight – Derek Oduro

Former Deputy Defence Minister, Major (rtd) Derek Oduro, says the decision to use aircrafts to fight illegal mining is a laudable.

This comment by the former Minister comes after the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry revealed that it is set to take delivery of four aircraft from the Ghana Armed Forces to aid the fight against illegal mining, also known as galamsey.

George Mireku Duker, Deputy Lands Minister, said the aircraft, which belongs to the Armed Forces, will come in handy as new strategies are being mapped out to fight illegal mining.

“The aircraft have been around, and they are sitting in Takoradi. You could bear with me that in court we may need some evidence, it is the reason these aircraft are very important in the sector. We are hoping to have not less than four of these aircrafts,” Mireku Duker told pressmen.

After the re-launch of Operation Halt II on October 11, 2022, the Ghana Armed Forces deployed in the fight against illegal mining in forest reserves and river bodies seized 30 excavators, destroyed four and immobilized four others on site.

Reacting to the use of aircraft in fighting illegal mining, Major (ret.) Derek Oduro told host Ama Gyenfa Ofosu Darkwa of Atinka TV’s morning show “Ghana Nie” that the use of helicopters will be more effective in the fight against Galamsey than drones.

Major (rtd) Derrick Oduro reiterated that the use of helicopters to support the fight against illegal mining will prevent informants from giving heads-up to illegal miners.

“You were talking about the use of drones in fighting Galamsey, the drones helped but like we all know, there is a limit to the use of the drones. The drones cannot do what the helicopters can do. With the helicopters, the illegal miners can be sighted from afar, traced and followed to hideouts,” Major (rtd) Derrick Oduro told Ama Gyenfa.

Commenting on the setbacks in the fight against illegal mining, Major (rtd) Derek Oduro attributed the hitch to dirty politics.

He opined that during the fight, the media, which had initially embraced the fight, stepped back and began accusing the government of taking bribes from the illegal miners.

“Dirty politics have hindered the progress of the fight. The media which initially embraced the fight stepped and turned against the operations of the fight against illegal mining and begun accusing government for taking bribes from the illegal miners,” he added.