Akufo-Addo’s endorsement of burning excavators shocking – Small-scale miners

President of the Small Scale Miners Association of Ghana, Michael Peprah has expressed disappointment over President Akufo-Addo’s endorsement of the burning of seized excavators from illegal miners by the anti-galamsey taskforce.

Mr. Peprah speaking on the Morning Starr on Starr FM on Thursday, described the president’s comment as shocking.

“When we had a stakeholder meeting with them, they didn’t mention anything about the burning of excavators. I don’t think the President is a lawyer because if he were, he wouldn’t have spoken the way he did. And how dare we make the military appear as judges?

“We shouldn’t embolden the military to go about burning excavators. That’s not how rule of law works in a country…we were not expecting our president to speak like this, honestly.”

President Akufo- Addo on Wednesday May 27, 2021 asked victims whose excavators got burned during the fight against illegal mining to go to court for redress if they so wish.

President Akufo-Addo addressing attendees of the sod-cutting ceremony for the construction of the first phase of the “Law Village”, proposed facilities of the Ghana School of Law aimed at helping to expand legal education in Ghana, at the academic enclave near the University of Ghana Business School said “The battle against galamsey, I know that some will believe the ongoing exercise of polluting our water bodies and forest zones with harmful equipment and machinery is unlawful and in some cases harsh.

“I strongly disagree and I will advise those who take a contrary review to go to court to vindicate their position if they so wish. That is what the rule of law is all about”