Kwadwo Sheldon
GHANAIAN YOUTUBER, Kwadwo Sheldon, has called on government to intensify the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, following the death of eight individuals including two serving ministers and other prominent figures.
Kwadwo Sheldon, when analyzing the tragic incident on his show, lamented the lack of commitment to the fight against galamsey, which has subsequently claimed the lives of Minister for Defence, Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, and the Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Alhaji Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed.
Also among the deceased were National Democratic Congress (NDC) Vice Chairman Dr. Samuel Sarpong; Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna; former parliamentary candidate Mr. Samuel Aboagye, and three military personnel: Squadron Leader Peter Baafemi Anala, Flying Officer Twum Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
“Eight people died in the line of duty while serving the country. They were on their way to Obuasi for an event aimed at curbing the galamsey menace when the tragic incident occurred. Galamsey is destroying our water bodies and forests,” he stated.
“We can’t treat galamsey operators with kid gloves. Instead, we should fight galamsey aggressively to honour the memories of those who lost their lives. It’s a national emergency that requires urgent attention,” he added.
Kwadwo Sheldon added that, “the fact that the country organises events and initiatives to fight galamsey shows our failure as a country,” urging government as a matter of urgency to declare galamsey operators as terrorists and deal with them ruthlessly, given the damage to the environment.
The country was thrown into mourning on August 6, following the tragic crash of a Ghana Armed Forces helicopter at a forest near Adansi Brofoyedru in the Ashanti Region. The helicopter, identified as a Ghana Air Force Z9 aircraft, departed Accra at 9:12 a.m. en route to Obuasi, where President John Mahama was expected to launch a Community Mining Programme.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke