Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Peter Amewu is calling for all earth-moving equipment seized by the state from illegal small-scale to be “blown up”.
According to him, more than 60% of the earth-moving equipment brought into this country end up being used for galamsey purposes.
He adds that he prefers the blowing up of seized equipment rather than keeping them.
“How do you take cocaine and say you are keeping it? You must destroy it for the public to see that it is a wrong thing. What is happening is not different from an illegal trade.”
Mr Amewu, who has given a three-week ultimatum to the galamseyers to cease all operations or get flushed out, said the Akufo-Addo government has a three-pronged strategy toward dealing with the menace.
“…We’ve started with diplomatic talks with the various foreign countries involved in it. That will be followed by a media and public advocacy which will continue for about five years.
What is going to follow this advocacy and the diplomatic approach is going to be a combative and militant approach to get them out of their areas of operation,” he explained.