Gov’t going round in circles in the fight against galamsey – Erastus Asare Donkor

Investigative and environmental journalist Erastus Asare Donkor has accused the government of going round in circles in the fight against illegal mining, saying that its approach is largely similar to that of the previous Akufo-Addo administration. He says although the current government appears more willing to listen to concerns about illegal mining, its actions do not match its public pronouncements, raising questions about its commitment to ending the menace. Speaking on JoyNews ’ Newsfile on Saturday, October 31, during a discussion on the Mahama administration’s fight against galamsey, Mr Asare Donkor said the government’s approach suggested a lack of the urgency required to defeat illegal mining, stressing that a serious fight against the practice demanded the full commitment and resources of the state. “You’re tempted to say that we are moving around in circles.

You see, if you are very interested in fighting something, you put all your arsenals into it,” he said. Mr Asare Donkor said the government was repeating strategies that had failed in the past while failing to provide the necessary resources to those tasked with tackling the problem. “I would say that basically we are doing the same thing, aside from the strategy that maybe NAIMOS may be adopting now, under the current leadership. That may be slightly different. But mostly, we are doing the same thing,” he said. He said that the previous Akufo-Addo administration handled the galamsey crisis with little regard for concerns raised by stakeholders, while the current government, despite being more receptive to such concerns, was not acting in line with its promises. “The previous administration treated this issue with kid gloves. They did not listen to anybody. The current administration, though they listen,…