Illegal Mining Taskforce Must Shoot and Kill – IEPR boss
The Executive Director the for Institute for Energy Policies and Research, Kwadwo Poku, has reiterated his call on government to adopt a shoot-and-kill approach in its effort at curbing illegal mining in water bodies.
“I am a bit extreme on this, I am on record to have said that if the military or police or the taskforce go down and the people have gun, they should shoot and kill,” Poku said.
His call comes in the wake of similar urge by First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu who suggests the security agencies should be given the power to shoot those involved in illegal mining popularly called ‘galamsey’. According to him, this is the only way to deter criminals from engaging in that act.
Despite various measures put in place to curb illegal mining, some individuals continue to secretly engage in the menace in some important water bodies.
Last week, a video of illegal mining activities on the Offin River, went viral on the internet, following which the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources dispatched members of River Guards and Operation Halt Taskforce, to stop the illegal operation.
The two groups seized equipment of these illegal miners and burnt some of them in the process.
But it appears Mr Poku is still not satisfied with this approach and therefore proposing a rather harsher measures, to deter these individuals.
Speaking with Kwaku Nhyira-Addo on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday August 15, Mr. Poku said implementing such tough measure will serve as a deterrent to recalcitrant persons.
As the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) announces new tariffs for electricity and water, effective 1 September, Mr Poku said, the pollution of the river bodies results in high water tariffs.
“You are supposed to stay 10 metres away from river bodies, if that person is not a metre, five metres away from the river body, it is in the river body, is that conversation a negotiable conversation?
It is not. For me, it is a straight down the line, crack the whip,” Poku who has presidential ambition said.
“I am a bit extreme on this, I am on record to have said that if the military or police or the taskforce go down and the people have gun, they should shoot and kill,” Poku said.
“…I honestly don’t see how somebody is putting mercury acid in our water body, which will kill people downstream and when they have gun to shoot at the taskforce, they can’t return fire and kill them, because they are killing people down the stream anyway.”
Source: Anchorghana.com
