The former Minister for Lands and Natural Resource, Inusah Abdulai Fuseini has alleged that President Nana Akufo-Addo has a reasonable idea of persons behind illegal mining activities in the country.
He indicated that, if the government is looking at bringing the menace to an end,;then it must name and shame those involved and “no one must be protected.”
Mr. Fuseini said this in relation to recent allegations by the Chairman of the Defence Committee,;Kennedy Agyapong, that high profiled persons and politicians are involved in the menace.
He further urged that it was time for Kennedy Agyapong to expose all high profiled persons involved in the menace.
Mr. Fuseini also revealed he has held a meeting with the current lands minister;and has given him a fair idea of the people who might be involved.
“He should mention the names. Political equalization will get us no where in this fight. Mention the names and let the people clear their names because it is very important.”
Inusah Fuseini
Moreover, he posited the nation is carelessly depleting its natural resources and must act in ways which will help sustain it.
“If action is not taken, we might not leave anything meaningful in the natural resource sector for the future generation.”
Inusah Fuseini
Mr. Agyapong in a protection racket
Also contributing to the conversation, Dr. Yaw Graham, a coordinator of Third World Network, said although Mr. Agyapong has indicated he has list of the people involved, he is however in a protection racket which makes him unable to disclose the persons on the list.
“We have said many times that the head of the galamsey issue is in the elite. If we are going to deal with this thing decisively, then it’s at this level that the members of the elite are to speak.
“I find Kennedy Agyapong’s intervention particularly interesting. Whiles he also confirmed that there are people in high levels who are engaged in this,;at the same time we also get the intervention as to why we are not making progress. I think Kennedy Agyapong will be helping all of us;if he made that list public.”
Dr. Yaw Graham
Touching on youth involvement in galamsey,;Dr.Graham further said the revelation by some stakeholders show that;there are political powers behind these activities. He also indicated that the question to be asked should be the economic and social factors that will urge people to partake in these activities.
He then averred that authorities need to assess the socio-economic factors;as key part of the involvement of young persons in this menace as due to the absence of employment.
“The elites are driving it and some of the factors getting the youth involved is the economic situation.”
Dr. Yaw Graham
Military deployment unsustainable
Commenting on the deployment of the military personnel to the various sites,; Mr Inusah Fusieni averred that it was not a sustainable way of solving the problem. He explained that aside the shot term measures being taken by the ministry,;long term measures must equally be put in place to help bring about a sustainable way of ending the menace.
“So, sending troops to the water bodies is not a sustainable way of solving the problem. The PNDC tried troops once upon a time, the Kufour government tried troops,;the Mahama government and now the Akufo-Addo government for the second time. We must learn something especially the strength and weaknesses of those methods.”
Dr. Yaw Graham
