The Coordinator of Eco-Conscious Citizens GH, Awula Serwah, has cast doubt on government’s commitment to the fight against illegal mining in the country.

Speaking on JoyNews’ The Probe on Sunday, she noted that there is no fight against the canker.

This, she says is because “the government himself is complicit in illegal mining.”

https://youtu.be/9Shs9rtQvCQ

“What is worse is that the government himself is hell-bent on mining whether in Atewa Forest Reserve and therefore has passed L. I 12. Now L. I 246 too has been passed which makes it possible to mine in forest reserves and worst still in globally significant biodiversity areas… with all these going on, is there any fight against illegal mining? No! The government himself is complicit,” Awula Serwah stressed.

Her comments come after President Akufo-Addo pledged to put his presidency on the line to fight ‘galamsey’.

During his meeting with the leadership of the National House of Chiefs and the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in October last year, President Akufo-Addo reaffirmed his commitment; noting that he was being truthful when he made that proclamation in 2017.

Meanwhile, there have been measures put in place to end illegal mining in the country such as Operation Halt, which declared forest and water areas as red zones.

But touching on this, Awula Serwah said “There is no war against illegal mining. If you have a war going on, you’d have the military there to stop the devastation. You won’t wait till hectares have been destroyed and then you come in”.

According to her, if indeed war has been waged against galamsey, then the directors of Akonta Mining should be behind bars for the devastation caused in the forest reserve.

However, "they have not even been arrested because they are financiers of the party - New Patriotic Party and rather the former Environment Minister, Prof Frimpong Boateng has been arrested and bailed."