I’m disappointed in Mahama’s galamsey comment - Amewu

Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu has expressed disappointment in former president Mahama over comments he made at the NDC’s Unity walk in Kumasi on Saturday.

‘’ I respect that man but for today, I’m much disappointed in the words he said when he was in Kumasi’’

Mr. Mahama during his address told party enthusiasts that using soldiers to fight illegal mining won’t achieve results, adding that the measure was tried during his tenure but failed.

“The use of security personnel against our young men and women [galamseyers] is nothing new. We tried it but it didn’t work; so we introduced a new mining law to regulate the activities of small-scale miners while giving them the opportunity to earn some income,” President Mahama said.

The Minister whose outfit has been praised for the clamping down of several illegal mining concessions and the destruction of machines says that Mr Mahama failed to deliver to Ghanaians when he had the chance and hence has absolutely no chance at coming back as president.

‘’He has failed this is not the time for him to come back and I promise he will never come back.’’

He however described former President John Mahama as a conman whose aim is to deceive the people of Ghana.

‘’what has Mahama being able to do?, I have not seen anything they were destroying all kinds of equipment, … I am so much disappointed in Mahama, I’m telling the small scale miners that this gentleman is a conman, he is deceiving them if they dare go in for him just because of galamsey this country will come down.’’

Speaking at an interview at the 8th Ghana Entrepreneur and Corporate Executive Awards 2018, Mr Amewu warned the small scale miners not to support former President Mahama so as not to bring the country down.

The embattled Minister also accused former President Mahama’s government of destroying machines which were owned by Bernard Antwi-Boasiako popularly known as Wontumi during his reign as president.

‘’Wontumi was having lots of equipment, Mahama and his people destroyed it’’.

He however encouraged Ghanaians to follow President Akufo-Addo who is known as the most honest man in the world and the right person to address the small scale mining in the county.

‘’They should follow the honest man in this world, the most honest person who is ruling this country Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo he has the alternative to address the small scale mining and we will do that not former President Mahama.’’ Mr Amewu added.

In an attempt to fight illegal mining across the country the current government has among other things formed the Operation Vanguard task Force which is to assist in clamping down on illegal concessions nationwide.