Galamsey fight: Did you apply sense during your tenure? – Minister asks Mahama

The Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei-Mensah has questioned former President John Dramani Mahama whether he applied sense in the fight against illegal mining activities during his term of office.

It will be recalled that Mr Mahama at the NDC Unity Walk organized in Kumasi on Saturday, April 28, 2018 condemned the Akufo- Addo’s administration for motivating military and police officers to shoot to kill recalcitrant ‘galamseyers’ following the fight against illegal ‘galamsey’.

According to Mahama, the shoot-to-kill approach in dealing with illegal mining in the country is inappropriate urging government to attach some sense in the fight against ‘galamsey’.

The Regional Minister briefing the media in Kumasi stated that the former President during his term of office harassed some small-scale miners especially the regional chairman of NPP Bernard Antwi-Boasiako popularly known as ‘Wontumi’, pouring acid into engines of his excavators and also set some ablaze.

According to the Minister, if Mahama executed some sense in the fight against ‘galamsey’ during his time the government wouldn’t be sacking ‘galamseyers’ from the various mining sites.

“Former President Mahama has the penchant for insulting President Nana Addo. This is not the first time he has used such words. When he was a parliamentarian, he insulted Osei Kwame Prempeh and all Asantes. Mahama described Asantes as ungrateful by saying if he even paints all the roads in the region with gold they won’t appreciate it,” he said.

He, however, advised former President Mahama to rather apologize to his party sympathizers for the humiliating defeat he suffered in the 2016 elections but not to gain notoriety for insults.