Spokesperson for Movement for Change, Andrew Appiah-Danquah has urged President Mahama to be more radical in the fight against galamsey.
Appiah-Danquah believes that with the measures instituted so far by the President, Mahama has shown positive signals in combating the menace.
However, he noted that the President must really take bold actions like repealing entirely the L.I. 2462 which permits mining in forest reserves.
Commenting on the ‘Blue Water Guards’ initiative introduced by government to protect water bodies from mining activities, Appiah-Danquah said it is a step in the right direction.
“As much as I am seeing that he is giving the right signals, I think that the time to act is now and he needs to be radical about this. Unfortunately, we have a president that has only one term and he should not be held back by the potential of standing for the next election.
“In fact, JM must be radical about this galamsey issue. He is giving the right signals and I support that. I don’t play with the blue guard initiative. I think that it is the step in the right direction but having said that I think he should be a lot more radical,” he said on TV3’s New Day, Monday, March 24.
The Private legal practitioner further called for a review of the punishment regime for persons caught engaging in galamsey activities.
He proposed that life imprisonment should be the appropriate punishment for such individuals.
“Not about 10 years or 20 years. If you are doing galamsey and they catch you they should be thinking about life imprisonment because you are killing people.
“The led, the mercury, the cyanide they use are killers and so when you indulge in galamsey is not about five years or ten, it should be about life imprisonment,” he argued.
Read also: President should repeal entire L.I.2462 – Appiah-Danquah
