Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, has strongly criticized the government’s approach to handling illegal mining, particularly when it involves foreign nationals.
Speaking on Starr Chat with Bola Ray, Gbande argued that jailing foreign offenders for illegal mining only exacerbates the country’s resource constraints, as it requires significant expenditure from the state.
He pointed out that incarceration of foreign nationals involved in galamsey (illegal mining) comes with high costs, both in terms of imprisonment and the resources required to manage them.
Gbande emphasized that when foreign nationals come to Ghana with no intention of respecting local laws, they should be deported rather than imprisoned.
“The cost of jailing someone far outweighs any deterrent effect,” Gbande stated, advocating for deportation and banning offenders from re-entering the country.
He recalled that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government had taken a more efficient approach by focusing on deportation, which he believes is a better deterrent than costly imprisonment.
Turning to Ghanaian offenders, Gbande called for swift legal action and reparations. He suggested that Ghanaians involved in illegal mining should be taken to court and made to repair the damage they have caused, with the threat of jail time for non-compliance.
Gbande’s stance reflects a call for more practical, cost-effective measures to combat the illegal mining menace in Ghana.
