Small-scale miners to embark on ‘Ku me Preko’ demo next week

The Concerned Small-Scale Miners Association of Ghana has announced it would be hitting the streets in protest of government’s failure to lift the ban on small-scale mining next week.

The demonstration christened “Ku me Preko” demo will be staged in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi.

President of the Association,Rooney Osei Bempah  announced this in a statement copied to otecfmghana.com.

Government earlier last year imposed a six-month ban on small-scale mining as part of efforts to end illegal mining and its related activities.

The ban was necessitated by the persistent destruction of the environment, particularly water bodies and forest reserves.

A couple of weeks to the expiration of the ban, government announced an extension on all forms of small-scale mining.

This development, the affected miners say has adversely affected their businesses.

Though the media interaction was originally planned to prevail on government to lift the ban, the concerned miners wearing red, started chanting perhaps to caution government over what awaits it.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday announced plans for a comprehensive strategy to tackle the threat of illegal mining to the nation’s economy and the environment.

This, he said was going to address the vexed issue of the lifting of the ban on small-scale mining.

It would involve the reclamation and reforestation of mined-out areas, restoration of impacted water bodies and strict supervision of the processes of awarding mining licenses and associated permits.

Additionally, the road map would incorporate the establishment of a mercury pollution abatement project, the implementation of alternative livelihood projects, systematic control of the engagement of excavators and other ancillary contraptions in mining areas as well as the continued formalisation and regulation of the small-scale mining sector.

Richard Kojo Peprah says government’s fight against illegal mining has proven to be a failure because it has failed to adopt the right strategies.

“More than one year after the ban which was destined for only six months, the government is yet to convince us that he has any meaningful approach in dealing with the ills of the sector which brought about the ban.”

For the miners, “the fight against illegal mining which appeared as an easy one to the government from the onset has beyond reasonable doubt proven to be a heavy one putting to shame the very military approach adopted as it’s antidote”.

According to the group, government does not have any justification to prevent them from plying their trade since it has run out of ideas to deal with the problem.

”Nothing short of the announcement of an exact date when the ban would be lifted would get us to rescind our decision to demonstrate on the said day”.

”As for the call by the President of the National House of Chiefs,  Togbe Afede XVI that the ban must not be lifted, we would rather reserve our comments, and plead with all well meaning Ghanaians to sympathize with us to make a case for our legitimate business”, osei Bempah added .

Read the statement below

All set for ‘Ku me Preko’ Demonstration – CSSMUG

The Concerned Small Scale Miners Union of Ghana (CSSMUG) has taken note of President Akufo Addo’s promise to publish a roadmap to the lifting of the ban on ‘illegal mining soon’, more than a year and a quarter after the moratorium.

The CSSMUG wishes to place on record that, the President’s announcement, apart from being intangible, at its best,  only heightens our anxiety and fuels our mistrust in the government in keeping to its own pronouncements after it failed to honor several similar promises.

In view of this, our planned ‘Ku me Preko’ demonstration, slated for Tuesday, June 26, 2018 in the Ashanti region would come on as scheduled and unabated.

Thousands of affected small scale miners are expected to pour onto the streets to announce their frustrations and disappointment in this government on the day.

We have in accordance with the Public Order Act, satisfied all requirements with the Ashanti Regional Police Command.

Nothing short of the announcement of an exact date when the ban would be lifted would get us to rescind our decision to demonstrate on the said day.

As for the call by the President of the National House of Chiefs,  Togbe Afede XVI that the ban must not be lifted, we would rather reserve our comments, and plead with all well meaning Ghanaians to sympathize with us to make a case for our legitimate business.

Small Scale Mining is not illegal.

Small Scale Mining is for Ghanaians.

Lift the ban now.

Rooney osei Bempah

(President)

0249549175

0200479339

Arhin

0545397427

P.R.O

Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com