Kill illegal miners to save the nation – Pressure group

Save the Nation for Future Leaders is advocating summary execution of individuals caught engaging in illegal mining activities.

Founder and president of the group, Kwadwo Atta Apeakorang, argued any individual that deems the lives of millions of people worthless does not deserve to live.

This ruthless call is contained in a petition entitled, ‘kill to save the nation,’ that the group submitted to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and copied to the Speaker of Parliament, institutional heads and MPs.

The group demanded re-imposition of ban on gold mining with immediate effect and urged the President to revoke any licence granted to Amikoma Mining Company and others.

Appeakorang stated that Amikoma Mining Company is undertaking mining activities at Adasawase in the Atiwa East District with a prospecting licence in contravention of the laws of the state.

He stated that inquiries with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Forestry Commission confirm Amikoma Mining Company has a prospecting licence only and therefore not authorized to mine.

“In addition to undertaking mining without a licence, Amikoma Mining Company has violated the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) sections 18 (1) and 82 (1) and so we, in accordance with Act 703, ask that 87 (a) be applied.”

“By revoking the Company’s licence, we are referring to the prospecting licence granted the Company,” he said.

Illegal activities of the company, he said, have destroyed some important rivers that serve as source of drinking water for several villages including the River Tini, which serves Adasawase and the celebrated Tini Waterfalls, which was inaugurated in 2005.

“Other water bodies such as Frempomaa (source of drinking water for Fremponso and Vanderpuye) and Opeini (source of drinking water for Abompe) have been contaminated,” he stated.

According to him, the chiefs and people of Adasawase have indicated they did not want Amikoma Mining or any company for that matter to engage in any form of mining with or without a mining lease in the area.

And lamented government has over the past years been paying lip-service to the fight against destruction gold mining is wreaking in rural communities.

Save the Nation for Future Leaders, he said, has unsuccessfully resorted to every legal channel to seek amicable solution to the mining catastrophe in Adasawase and other parts of the country.

The group issued a two-week ultimatum to the office of the President to re-impose the ban on all forms of gold mining.

They warned, “Failure to do so will resort in Save the Nation for Future Leaders embarking on series of demonstrations to register our displeasure about the lack of the political will to fight for the lives of citizens.”