Galamsey fight: The responsibility is on the president, says Jantuah

Kwame Jantuah, a former vice president of the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has said the responsibility of curbing the galamsey menace in the country lies with the president.

Jantuah has called on President Akufo-Addo to take on the fight against galamsey by meeting with all relevant stakeholders.

He said the move will be to draw an action plan and bring everybody on board adding, “this is war”.

Speaking with Kwaku Nhyira-Addo on the Asaase Breakfast Show (ABS) on Tuesday (11 October 2022), Jantuah said, “Let’s be honest with ourselves, the responsibility is on the president. This is war. Any country that tries to poison our water bodies is at war and I expected if for nothing at all to draw a plan; the president meets with Parliament in terms of those parliamentarians who in their constituency where this is happening, meet with the Speaker of the House, meet with the judiciary, the media and the CSOs where they will draw up a plan of action. Once that plan of action is in place, you bring in the chiefs.” 

“So that everybody understands what that plan of action is…because definitely as we all know, there are politicians who are involved and nobody can be sparred irrespective of whether you have given me votes or not,” he said. 

“This particular issue [galamsey] is destroying our country; it’s destroying water bodies [and] it is destroying the land. So we shouldn’t take it as if it were nothing… we shouldn’t get an OSP or Attorney General to investigate it. It is more than that; it is at the table of the president to make sure that much stronger action is taken.” 

“It has gone on for too long,” he added.

Jail offenders

However, a lawyer, John Darko also speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show said government appointees have failed to perform their duties in the fight against the galamsey menace. 

He said, “What can be said is that the people who have been appointed are not doing their jobs. However, it is essential that we remind our people of the power they hold; they need to rise up and take responsibility.”

“I believe that the president is the one who should spearhead the fight against illegal mining and I think that he has …”

“I believe that this is a cartel. How are cartels fought? By putting the leaders in jail! The people financing galamsey, the owners of the machinery being used in mining sites must be used as examples.”

Darko added, “I really don’t care what draconian measures must be put in place.”

Watch the video below:

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