Artisanal Small -Scale Women in mining (ASWIM) and Kolikoli Women wing of Ghana National Association of Small Scale Mining is calling on the government to stop the military from burning excavators and other mining equipment of licensed mining companies as part of the fight against illegal mining.
Addressing the media at Akyem Anyinam in the Eastern region on Tuesday, the leadership of Artisanal Small -Scale Women in mining and Kolikoli Women wing of Ghana National Association of Small Scale Mining said, apart from the pollution being caused by the burning, the economic ramification is dire on its members.
They want the state to instead confiscate the equipment for other uses.
“Destruction of Chanfan in water bodies is creating toxic pollution by spillage of oil, fuel, and Mercury into our water bodies, most of our children in the community take pleasure in swimming in these water bodies but this sinking of the Chanfan poses a big danger and hazard towards them.
“…pleading on with the Ghana Armed Forces that better methods of going about this stoppage can bring “chafans to shore and draining them of their oil, fuel, and Mercury and dismantle them the proper way to prevent further pollution and hazard”
A statement read by the National Women’s Coordinator of ASWIM, Ms. Victoria Adobea, appealed to the government to allow small-scale miners with a license to operate.
“We are pleading to the President His Excellency Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo; and the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Honourable Samuel Abu Jinapor and all Frontline officials to immediately allow the legal small scale miners to go back to their mining sites to work, to allow us and all people associated with legal mining practices to get back our means of living”
According to them, the seizure of small-scale mining is forcing some miners to resort to criminal activities in all mining Communities to fend for themselves and their families.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
