The Concerned Small Scale Miners Association of Ghana has endorsed the policies of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) on small-scale mining.
This follows the recent call by Civil Society, the Clergy, the Academia and other concerned groups for proper mining practices to protect the environment from pollution.
Over the past years majority of Ghanaian river bodies have been heavily polluted by illegal mining activities also known as galamsey, a man made disaster believe to be orchestrated by appointees of president Nana Akufo-Addo.
President of the Small Scale Miners Association, Mr Michael Kwadwo Peprah says he has thrown the backs the NDC, after critical analysis of both the NPP and NDC manifestos.
As the country goes to the polls on December 7, government instituted ‘Operation Halt’ military group to end the canker of illegal mining, however the licensed small scale miners revealed that the military rather harass their members while the president appointees are allowed to mine everywhere including forest reserves.
In spreading what the president of the Association terms as the game changer in small mining, he engaged small scale miners in Manso and it’s environs in the Ashanti Region, encouraging them to cast their votes for John Dramani Mahama as his policies are the best for their growth in the extraction industry.
According to him, the reclamation of land after mining by miners as promised by the NDC is feasible and will ensure a long-time benefit for both miners and the environment.
Peprah remarked that the NPP government cannot be trusted to sanitize the sector when Dr Mahamudu Bawumia wins the elections because it is their cohorts that are destroying the forest reserves, water bodies and farmlands.
The association president noted that the role of the military in curbing illegal mining has only worsened the situation.
He said “In 2016, President Akufo-Addo promised to improve small-scale mining, but instead, we’ve seen legitimate miners lose their jobs while illegal operators, many with political connections, continue to destroy our natural resources with impunity”.
He talked about the war many small-scale miners go through to attain licenses due to bureaucratic delays. Peprah praised the NDC’s manifesto, declaring that it gives sensible answers to the sector’s problems, inclusive of decentralizing the licensing method.