Defence Minister warns ‘All Night’ galamseyers over their safety

The Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, has stated that his outfit cannot guarantee the safety of illegal miners who continue to engage in their operations despite the ban on their activities. He has thus, advised the illegal miners, especially those who operate at night to put a stop to it.

He noted that the operations at night, called ‘All Night’ mining, is a new strategy adopted by the illegal miners in an anticipation to outwit the military taskforce mandated to clamp down on the activities.

“They go at midnight and engage in Changfans activities and come back during the day. That is how brave they are. We know, and we know, the towns that you are doing it in so we will come after you. And in the night, for the safety of the soldiers, I cannot guarantee your own safety. No soldier will go out in the night without trying to protect himself or herself first. So I will advise you not to go out,” the Minister, who was addressing a press conference yesterday, warned.

PR won’t work

Mr Nitiwul has also stated that persons who are against the ‘Operation Halt’ exercise are bound to fail in their efforts, saying no propaganda against the exercise will work.

That was his reaction to what he described as “massive public relations strategy” employed to get the government to pull out the soldiers from the grounds.

“A lot of danger and devastations have been done to the people and communities in the mining areas. Your massive PR to pull soldiers out from the mining sites along the rivers won’t succeed this time round. The government does not hate mining, but the manner in which it is conducted is the problem we must tackle,” he said.

Defending actions

Mr Nitiwul also defended the decision to burn down mining equipment by the ‘Operation Halt’ team.

“You can have a licence, but if you were destroying the water bodies, the soldiers were supposed to make sure that they take out the equipment that you were using. So soldiers were not out to inspect licences,” he stated.

He indicated that licensed mining companies operating near water bodies would be treated as illegal miners.

He specifically mentioned licensed companies like Kibi Goldfields and Xtra Gold Ghana Mining Company Limited, and explained that their operations were hazardous to the land, despite their authentic documentation.

Mr Nitiwul stressed that the taskforce that went to the Eastern Region, therefore, burnt the machines of both companies, wondering why Xtra Gold Ghana is complaining about the actions of the team.

The National Women Organiser of the ruling NPP, Kate Gyamfua, is the General Manager of Xtra Gold. The company has complained about the ill-treatment meted to it by the military men. But Mr Nitiwul insists their actions were justified.

“Maybe, because they [other mining companies] don’t have a political voice, they were not making noise. But their equipment were destroyed as well,” he insisted.

Positive impact

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, stressed that the government is working assiduously to enhance the mining sector in the country.

He acknowledged the fact that after few days of operations, the waters bodies are regaining their natural state.

He, however, lamented how some large-scale mining companies have diverted the water bodies from their course.

Mr Abu Jinapor insisted that his outfit would not relent in fighting the menace, adding that his ministry is also reviewing the current licensing and permit regimes through stakeholder engagement.