The Communications Director for the New Patriotic Party(NPP) in the Upper West Akyem Constituency of the Eastern Region, Mr. Alex Amoh has urged the Minister of Defence, Mr. Dominic Nitiwul to rescind his decision to burn all equipment seized under a new effort to end galamsey will be destroyed on-site.
According to him, some of the Machines such as excavators should be given to the Assemblies for use and hiring to generate money for development instead of burning them.
The operation which involves the deployment of 200 military personnel started last Wednesday and already nine excavators, 127 changfans (washing machines), and one fuel pump which were being used for illegal mining in the river Pra have destroyed [detonated] by the military but Mr. Alex Amoh described the move as too harsh and want the Ministry to find a way to make the machines official properties of the state.
Citing an example, Mr. Amoh said there are many Villages in his Constituency which have bad roads and said the Assembly can fuel the seized excavators to reshape it to be accessible.
Meanwhile, Mr. Charles Nyame, Organizer for the National Democratic Congress in Lower West Akyem Constituency has said Nana Akufo-Addo Ministers cannot be trusted to seize galamsey equipment and distribute them for other state workers and he endorsed the burning method.
He accused the NPP administration of seizing and sharing illegal mining equipment recently with their party leaders and Ministers to return to the site for the illegal mining.
Addressing a press briefing on the military operation which was sanctioned by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Minister of Defence, Mr. Dominic Nitiwul said the Chinese had been handed over to the national security for further interrogation and would be prosecuted.
He said “Furthermore, the following items have been seized and would be destroyed except items that will be used as exhibits in court. The items include 8×24 plate batteries, one pump action gun case, a generator, a Huawei phone, a chainsaw machine, eight raincoats, fuel filters, non-citizen Ghana ID cards, two drilling equipment, and two boots. These items will be destroyed except what the police deem necessary for their work for the prosecution.”
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Kofi Atakora
