The Agbogbomefia Paramount Chief of Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV has described as « laughable » and « wasteful » the government’s approach of burning excavators as part of measures to fight illegal mining popularly known as galamsey in the country.
Excavators were burnt as the government enforce the laws to protect the environment and stop the activities of illegal mining in our water bodies.
There have been public concerns about the destruction of the equipment, especially excavators with some suggesting that they should rather be seized and allow the court processes to determine what should be done with them.
Some suggested that many politicians were the ones behind illegal mining and hence the fight may fail again.
Earlier, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo endorsed the destruction of excavators being used for galamsey.
He said the destruction of the equipment being used to pollute water bodies and destroy forest reserves will not stop until the criminal acts are halted.
Togbe Afede sharing his view on the current economic crisis said at a time when environmental sustainability and issues about climate change have dominated discussions at almost every level of global policy dialogue, it is shocking that we can remain, apathetic bystanders, while a few people destroy our agricultural land and water bodies.
He said it is hard to imagine any other country which will tolerate that level of environmental degradation.
« It was not only a bad environmental practice but laughable and wasteful to burn a few excavators, which probably cost foreign exchange to bring in, as a way of showing commitment to fighting galamsey, » he stated.
Pulse
