Northern Patriots in Research and Advocacy (NORPRA), has kicked against the proposal of burning excavators seized from illegal miners in Ghana.
The Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, proposed the burning of excavators seized from illegal miners as a deterrent to others engaged in the menace.
But speaking on DayBreak Upper East show on A1 Radio, the Executive Director of Northern Patriots in Research and Advocacy (NORPRA), Bismarck Adongo Ayorogo said the burning of the excavators is not the last option for the government to fight the illegal mining activities in the country.
He noted that the seized excavators can be put to different for the benefit of the country rather than destroying them through burning.
Mr Ayorogo said, “The issue of burning excavators I think we at NORPRA think that excavators are not manufactured purposely for illegal mining or ‘Galamsay’ they can be used for road construction, dam construction and all kinds of constructions.
He further said if somebody acquired a machine or equipment and is misusing it that can cause a serious threat to the environment and it is seized “I don’t think the right options is to burn them” because “if we are seizing them and burning them that is not suggesting they should stop manufacturing them so that is not really the solution to the problem, I think the government needs to think of a better option than seizing and burning them.”
Mr. Ayorogo stressed that illegal mining is wrecking havoc in the country and its future and there is a need for concerted efforts to address it.
Source: A1Radioonline.Com|101.1MHZ|David Azure |Ghana
