News:
July 1, 2021
Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor has set the record straight pointing that government is not engaged in burning of excavators and lamented that it is a wrong impression out there in the public domain.
According to him the instruction government gave out to the security services is to de-commission and de-mobilise all equipment which are being used for illegal mining in the red zone of the country, including forest reserves and water bodies.
“The security personnel are then employing their own measures, whether burning or removing of parts of excavators used in the illegal mining activities”.
He made this known on Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at a press engagement, after answering a question on the floor of the House, when Member of Parliament for North Tongue Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa wanted to know the legal policy and justification for the burning of excavators in the ongoing fight against illegal small-scale mining (galamsey).
He further pointed out that under Article 36 of the 1992 Constitution, it is the duty of government to protect the environment and pointed out to members of the parliamentary press corps that they are aware of what illegal mining is doing to the environment and water bodies.
“If we do not take measures, very soon Ghana would become a net importer of water, our forest reserves are being depleted and land being degraded, children being born in these mining communities have health issues, some of them are born deformed and our cocoa industry collapsing”.
He urged Ghanaians to support the efforts of government in protecting the environment, with the noble exercise government is undertaking.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com