Be magnanimous – Peace Council to Operation Vanguard

The National Peace Council has called on government and other stakeholders fighting the illegal mining menace to handle it with magnanimity and a human face so that it does not degenerate into chaos.

The Council wants the taskforce to be professional in their operation so as not to cause deaths and injuries which could trigger revolt.

Rev.Dr.Nii Amoo -Darku, a governing Board Member of the National Peace Council said this during an interview with the media Wednesday at the sidelines of a two-day workshop on strengthening the capacity of members of the Regional Peace Councils in Conflict mediation currently ongoing in Kofrodua , Eastern region.

One person has been shot dead, properties destroyed while over 100 illegal miners have been arrested since the deployment of the 400 contingent made up of the Police and Military Personnel.

According to Rev.Amoo-Darku, even though the Council supports the government in the fight against the menace due to its devastating impact on the environment, stakeholders must ensure that the operation of the taskforce does not affect the peace and stability of the country.

“we are all witnesses of how devastating the practice of galamsey has been destroying our farmlands and river bodies and even the water we drink in some other places all of it polluted, we will plead that government and all the stakeholders involve will be magnanimous in dealing with it. We do not anticipate or want to see a situation where people are killed because we want to curb it.

Or even disaster happening, when that happens people will want to fight back and therefore those who have been put in charge and been asked to deal with the situation must do it with human face so that there will not be such situation where lives will be lost and properties destroyed as we are hearing “He said .

The workshop is being attended by all regional representatives of the National Peace Council, the representatives of its funding partners, European Union (EU) and United Nation Development. Fund(UNDP) with the aim of building the capacity of Council members in sustaining the peace of the Country.

The Council has commended its members for working hard to ensure peaceful poll in 2016 election.