Dealing with the issue of illegal mining, popularly known as ‘galamsey’, will be key on the agenda of the Lands and Natural resources ministry, minister-nominee John Peter Amewu has indicated.
John Peter Amewu, who took his turn before Parliament’s Appointments Committee to be vetted for the position on Tuesday [January 31, 2017], said there was the need for stiffer punishment for persons who flout the law by mining illegally in the country.
He said, “as a country, we must begin to enforce some of these laws. If the house gives me the nod, I’m not going to take it lightly at all, if you refuse to do the right thing, the law will get you, and I am going to apply the law to address ‘galamsey’ issue in the country.”
The former New Patriotic Party Volta Regional Chairman told the committee he will be firm to deal with illegal miners without political party considerations.
“I’m not a minister for party executives, I am a minister for the republic of Ghana and for the purpose of intergenerational equity, we must leave something down for our generation to come and see… Irrespective of your party colour, irrespective of who owns the land, irrespective of your family background, the law will be applied,” he said.
John Peter Amewu assured the committee that he will be prepared to seize and render accounts for all assets seized from operations to clamp down on illegal mining.
Below are pictures from his tour on some galamsey sites..
Source: Dickson Boadi// www.dailyviewgh.com / / Ghana
Writer’s email dailyviewgh@gmail.com
