Deployment of 200 soldiers to fight galamsey an ad hoc measure – Inusah Fuseini

Former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Inusah Fuseini says the deployment of soldiers to clamp down on illegal mining -galamsey- on Ghana’s water bodies is an ad hoc measure.

Government on Wednesday announced the deployment of 200 soldiers to commence an operation to remove all persons and logistics involved in mining from water bodies starting from the River Pra in the Central and Western regions of Ghana.

However, speaking to Starr News, the former Minister said the government has to be more strategic and adopt a localized approach in dealing with the canker.

“This fight should be driven by strategy, it cannot be on an ad hoc basis…I don’t see the strategy. The Minister issued a directive on mining in forests but what is the strategy? How did the people get into the forest in the first place and the Minister is calling for chiefs and people to assist in the fight. How are you getting them involved? I just don’t see the strategy.

Hon. Inusah Fuseini added: "Maybe because it’s a catastrophic problem, we cannot wait to do the strategy before we start and I will be only consoled in the fact that they are drawing a strategy but in order not to be seen to be compromising the fight against illegal small-scale mining, they are already taking bits and pieces of action. Other than that, if this is going to be a strategy, I’m afraid it will fail. And persons found on the water bodies must not be removed, they should be arrested.”

President Akufo-Addo’s latest order is in furtherance of the resolution of the final communique of the stakeholder dialogue on small-scale mining between April 14-15, 2021 and to ensure that mining within water bodies is immediately stopped.

A statement signed by the Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said, “the Ministry of Defence and the Ghana Armed Forces will provide a detailed brief of developments and sustainability efforts at 12 PM on Friday 30 April 2021.