We never expected ‘Operation Vanguard’ to be smooth-sailing; certainly not in a country like ours when the foes are part of an entrenched occupation with plenty of cash at their disposal.
That is why the reckless handling of the mysterious death of some galamsey players has gained currency and with disturbing repercussion.
The orders are not to shoot and kill by all means and so the assumption of the troops being hard-hearted cannot be true. They can protect themselves or fend off an attack from the galamsey operatives and why not?
Being a national assignment and intended to restore sanity in our relationship with the environment, there is need for all of us to support the initiative by government to deal a final blow to the devastation of our water bodies and environment by persons who could not care a hoot about such subjects.
The state of the morale of troops on such a difficult assignment is very important. That is why we should avoid any remark or action that has the tendency to impact negatively on the morale of the officers and men from the Police and the military engaged in an operation in which the enemies can kill.
It is ironic that when a soldier or cop is killed by a galamseyer, little or nothing is said by members of the public not so when the security agents open fire in response from the illegal miners.
The recent death of illegal miners under yet-to-be established circumstances which triggered the subject under review must be probed.
We are elated that the Police Administration has dispatched detectives to the scene. The truth when it is out shall put paid to the ranting and baseless accusations from some quarters.
It is unsurprising that ‘Operation Vanguard’ is suffering such ordeal. The mission could suffer more challenges especially as frontal firefights would prove disastrous for the foes and so they would rather apply other tactics to win public sympathy.
Here is to ask that those charged with investigating whatever was responsible for the deaths of the galamsey men expedite action on their assignment so the matter can be put to rest and the morale of the personnel restored.
We wish to remind all Ghanaians, especially, residents in illegal mining areas of the country to join in the fight against galamsey. Such a fight has wide-ranging effects on the fortunes of the country and so there is no option of either joining or sitting on the fence.
The security personnel deployed to the illegal mining areas need the support of the local people otherwise they would not achieve the desired results the country is expecting.