The Executive Director of Danquah Institute, Richard Ahiagbah, has intimated that the excavators that are being burnt could have been used to work in the various communities if not for the attitude of citizens.
Speaking on the fight against galamsey, he said although the equipment could have been put to good use however,;the government cannot be assured if that will happen. He suggested that the excavators could be used in fixing the bad roads in;the various communities but was not sure if that will happen.
“These excavators can be retrieved and given to the District Assemblies to fix all these roads. We don’t want to hear about these bad roads so just take them grade them. This is capital equipment that people can use.
“But come to think of it, because of the relation of our responsibility as citizens,;we are creating a situation where something that could become an asset for us to advance;the development of this country has become something that we have to burn so;that the little bit of progress we have made is not regressed by;the wanting abuse of individuals to want to seek for gold the wrong way.”
Richard Ahiagbah
He also averred that looking at the urgency of the fight against ‘galamsey’, the way to go is where the government is heading towards. That is the seizure and burning of equipment.
Changfans should be burnt out rightly
Mr. Ahiagbah also indicated that the changfans should be burnt out rightly because they cannot be used for any activity outside mining.
“As for those ones it should be burnt. Think about it if you retrieve them, what are you going to do with them? Even those ones are even more an outright burning situation there’s no second guessing at all on that.
“Even the excavators, the justification is clear in my mind that if you let this thing go, knowing who you are dealing with. Until we strengthen the law in terms of enforcement, what must be done now is to win this fight against galamsey.”
Richard Ahiagbah
Moreover. he posited that if the nation does not seek a solution to the menace now, it will end up putting the nation in an irreparable situation once the nation recovers and have control over enforcement.
The Executive Director further called for urgent action to be taken to stop the menace immediately.
“I think that the burning has sent a message across and the President’s intervention today and explanation today in terms of supporting and adhering to this position has sent a signal to people that we are not here to look at this issue and walk away.”
Richard Ahiagbah
The President, Nana Akufo-Addo in an address yesterday, May 26, 2021, asked persons with contrasting views on the destruction of mining equipment to go to court.
Touching on the miners who have returned to the various sites, he suggested that a whole society approach must be used in getting these offenders to book.
“Right now, the matching orders are clear. If ‘Operation Halt’ must succeed then people must be engaging with them to give information.”
Richard Ahiagbah
