Be circumspect - Asante to Operation Vanguard

Most Rev Professor Emmanuel Asante, immediate past Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana, has appealed to the Operation Vanguard task force set up by the government to deal with the illegal mining trade (galamsey) in the country to be wary in their operations in order not to create anxieties among the people.

According to him, although the work of the task force is apt, the use of brutal force may rather worsen the plight of the people and also defeat the purpose of their creation.

His comments come on the heels of allegations that the task force on Sunday August 13 killed four illegal small scale miners at a galamsey site in the Atiwa West District of the Eastern Region. The task force has since denied this allegation.

But speaking in an interview with Chief Jerry Forson, host of Ghana Yensom on Accra 100.5FM on Monday August 14, Rev Prof Asante said, “They (task force) were brought to help deal with the problem but we want to appeal to them be circumspect in their dealings with the people otherwise there will be more bloodshed as they seek to fight against the illegal mining.”

He added, “The galamsey is really destroying our water bodies and the environment. Water is life and so if we are destroying the water bodies it means we are jeopardising our future, if we destroy the environment it means we are creating a big problem because that will affect the climate. For this reason, there is no way we should countenance this mining activity.

“But it is not enough to tell the people to stop, the government will need to introduce alternatives for the galamsayers to do. So while we are stopping them we also need a vigorous programme to assist these galamsayers with their economic needs. I know the government has the capacity to do that and I will encourage them to do it.”