Land Economist, Prof Seth Asiamah has charged the government to crack the whip by arresting paramount chiefs who are either directly involved or complicit in illegal mining activities on their lands.
According to the former Provost of the College of Architecture at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, the destruction of galamsey would cost the states huge expenses to reclaim the lands.
His remarks come after a recent spectacle of high turbidity in the country’s water bodies, particularly River Pra, which has sparked yet another outcry for the government to declare a state of emergency.
Prof Seth Asiamah speaking on ABC In the Morning, urged the media to intensify calls for the government to go after chiefs behind the menace.
“If the Chiefs are doing it, why can we go after them if we can identify them.
Hinting on the destooling of two chief by the Asantehene, Osei Tutu II for being involved in Galamsey he said “that is the way to go. But to me, these are small Chiefs.”
“There are big Chiefs behind them. Lets go after them. And it is only the State that can go after them.”
Meanwhile, Prof Seth Asiamah has called on the government to repeal L.I 2462 which allows for mining in forest reserves.
Prof Seth Asiamah indicated that the law in its current form is an affront to the preservation of the country’s forest reserve. Hence, the need to abrogate it and not review as has been petitioned by some CSOs.
