Former Lands and Natural Resources Minister Inusah Fuseini has warned that the fight against illegal mining will remain a mirage if government continues to deploy the military.
The Tamale Central Member of Parliament (MP) who championed the fight against the scourge under John Mahama-administration held that the use of force has proven to be ineffective in curbing the menace.
His comments come after the Defence Minister’s justification of the burning of dozens of heavy sand winning machines by soldiers of the sixth battalion in the Northern region—which the Minority said smacks of “arrogance” and “incompetence”, the Minority has said.
The military Saturday, March 3, carried out the combative operation to intensify a crackdown on illegal sand miners along the White River burning 14 tipper trucks in the process.
In an interview with Starr News’ Parliamentary Correspondent Ibrahim Alhassan, Mr. Fuseini advised government to rather engage chiefs and MMDCEs in leading the fight, which according to him, had proven to be more effective compared to the military siege.
“Winning the fight against illegal mining will take some time. That has been so for a very long time unless you don’t understand what illegal mining is,” he said.
According to him, the fight against the scourge is a laudable one but it will not be won with the military spearheading it.
He said: “If you look at the activities of illegal small scale mining it is a threat to our very existence, compromising our water bodies, destroying our environment, promoting insecurities in the areas where illegal small scale mining takes place [and] exposes our children to health dangers in the use of mercury and some cases cyanide and so we have to fight.
“But, I have said and still holds the view that using law and order simpliciter might be the strategy to fight [illegal] small scale mining….using law and order simpliciter means sending military, clamping down on illegal small scale miners, arresting them, killing them will not deter the people.
“We need to engage the stakeholders. For instance, there is no land in this country that has no owner. So wherever, small scale mining activity is taking place, it is taking place on land. And I like to use the Offinsohene as an example. When you go to the Offinso traditional area there is no small scale mining because he had said that he would not allow small scale mining in his traditional area. It is doable. The chiefs can simply say that look, I don’t like small scale mining in my area simple.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfmoline.com/103.5FM
