In a bid to intensify the fight against illegal mining, the Convener of the Anti-Galamsey Coalition, Ken Ashigbey, has proposed the establishment of fast-track courts to tackle the menace. This move aims to complement the government’s efforts to combat galamsey, particularly involving foreign nationals.
Ashigbey’s suggestion comes in response to Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak’s directive to repatriate foreigners found engaging in illegal mining or fraudulent activities. However, Ashigbey believes that deportation alone is insufficient, citing Ghana’s porous borders as a concern.
To address this, Ashigbey recommends setting up specialized courts to impose fines and sanctions on offenders.
“…But there are a few things that are not being done right. The Minerals and Mining Act, as amended in 2019, provides safer sanctions. When you deport these people, they will come back again. So what you should do is set up a 24-hour fast-track court so that within 24 hours, when these foreigners are arrested, they are taken to court and fined.”
Under this proposed system, foreigners found guilty of galamsey would be fined, with the proceeds used to restore damaged forest reserves and water bodies.
“These fines are used to restore the forest and water bodies. After they finish serving that long sentence, then we deport them. We should not just deport them because when we do that, they will come back. This is one of the wrong policies to fight galamsey,” Ashigbey explained.
Ashigbey commended the government’s initiatives to combat galamsey, noting that the President’s involvement has been a significant boost to the fight.
“This government is on the right path by dealing with the issue of galamsey. But there are a lot of the correct things that are being done. The issue of declaring war on galamsey is up… The fact that we have heard the president add his voice to it and ask those in his government who want to go into mining to resign first before coming all of those things are correct and are the right things to do. And all of us in the media coalition must add our voices to support the government to succeed,” he stated.