Small-scale miners to embark on 'Ku me Preko' demo

The Concerned Small-Scale Miners Association of Ghana has announced it would be hitting the streets in protest of government's failure to lift the ban on small-scale mining.

The demonstration christened "Ku me Preko” demo will be staged in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi.

President of the Association, Richard Kojo Peprah announced this at a news conference in Akwatia in the Eastern region.

Government earlier last year imposed a six-month ban on small-scale mining as part of efforts to end illegal mining and its related activities.

The ban was necessitated by the persistent destruction of the environment, particularly water bodies and forest reserves.

A couple of weeks to the expiration of the ban, government announced an extension on all forms of small-scale mining.

This development, the affected miners say has adversely affected their businesses.

Though the media interaction was originally planned to prevail on government to lift the ban, the concerned miners wearing red, started chanting perhaps to caution government over what awaits it.

Richard Kojo Peprah says government's fight against illegal mining has proven to be a failure because it has failed to adopt the right strategies.

"More than one year after the ban which was destined for only six months, the government is yet to convince us that he has any meaningful approach in dealing with the ills of the sector which brought about the ban."

For the miners, "the fight against illegal mining which appeared as an easy one to the government from the onset has beyond reasonable doubt proven to be a heavy one putting to shame the very military approach adopted as it's antidote".

According to the group, government does not have any justification to prevent them from plying their trade since it has run out of ideas to deal with the problem.

"We cannot endure any longer wasteful moments idling away precious man hours whilst our equipment gather dust and rust...we will not hesitate to speak the only language government understands," he added.

The demonstration is set to take place on June 26.