Galamsey: Burning of seized excavators needless – Braimah

Burning of confiscated excavators used for illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) is not the solution to the menace, Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), has said.

He described the burning of this equipment as needless.

In a Facebook post, he said the solution to the galamsey menace is good governance that benefits all the people.

“The solution to ending galamsey doesn’t lie in the needless burning of excavators. When the people are hungry and angry, they will continue with Galamsey with just hoes and cutlasses.

“The solution lies in genuine, good governance that benefits all, not some,” he said.

Fourteen excavators being used for illegal small scale mining activities (galamsey) in Atewa East and West in the Eastern Region have been burnt by the Military personnel deployed to fight the galamsey menace.

This comes after Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul had earlier stated that all the seized galamsey equipment including excavators will be destroyed on-site by the military officers deployed to the galamsey areas.

He said no gadget will be returned to Accra.

“We are not seizing any equipment, no equipment will be returned home, they will all be destroyed on-site. No excavator, nothing will come back home,” he said at a press conference in Accra on Friday April 30.

The solution to ending galamsey doesn't lie in the needless burning of excavators. When the people are hungry and angry, they will continue with Galamsey with just hoes and cutlasses. The solution lies in genuine, good governance that benefits all, not some.

— Sulemana Braimah (@sulemana) May 18, 2021