The Deputy National Director for Arocha Ghana, Daryl Bosu, has urged community members to practice citizen arrest for perpetrators involved in illegal mining.
He then asked the members of the various mining communities to send these illegal miners to the police station;and follow up until the police takes action to address their grievances.
“Community members should stand up and arrest these perpetrators. Communities should stand up because they are in their numbers and can hold anybody engaged in illegal mining to ransom. They should arrest the people and I need to say that they shouldn’t beat them up.”
Daryl Bosu
Mr. Bosu indicated that if collective effort is not used in fighting the menace of illegal mining it will “get out of hand”. He urged citizens to get involved to ensure that the right thing is done.
His comments come on the back of the alleged National Security Operatives who were fished out by community members;of Akyem Akanteng and arrested for engaging in illegal mining in the Atewa Forest.
The Director disclosed that he is encouraged by the fact that communities are rising up to the fight against galamsey. He then admonished all other communities to emulate what the people of Akyem Akateng did in arresting these faulters.
“It is really good to see that communities are standing up for their rights and if that is what it will take then I urge that all communities to emulate what the people did.
“The constitution enjoins them to do that. At the moment, you cannot go about pretending to be helping the fight;when you are going about perpetrating the atrocities that we are fighting about.”
Daryl Bosu
Introducing new directives needless
Touching on the introduction of new directives on how the security personnel’s should protect the forest reserves, he was of the view that it was needless.
“We don’t need any new directives. What we need to do is internal cleansing. We don’t need any new laws; we just need to walk the talk. And walking the talk is not only about the Minister coming to do this and that. The Ministry and all its agencies and all allied agencies should be acting in the same manner they expect the citizens to act.
“It is shameful to see that we say let’s stop this and then the people involved carry out these acts.”
Daryl Bosu
Mr. Bosu further noted he is expecting the Lands Minister to bring these people to book and inform the public on every single information that is taken against these people. He averred that the people will join the Minister after he has taken serious actions against these perpetrators.
Earlier today, the alleged National Security Operatives arrested for engaging in illegal mining in the Atewa Forest were picked by armed military personnel and moved to Accra. The suspects were transferred from the Asamankese police station where they were being kept in custody.
The arrest comes as a result of an invasion by the youth of Akyem Akanteng;at the Atewa Forest reserve on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, who apprehend about seventeen illegal miners including the 14 National Security Operatives who claimed to be working at the Jubilee House.
Reports have it that the alleged National Security Operatives sneaked into the forest at dawn to illegally mine gold but were caught by members of the community.
