Shoot to Kill Chinese Miners ─ First Deputy Speaker Charges

THE FIRST Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Joseph Osei Owusu, has caused a stir when he advocated for the on-the-spot killing of Chinese citizens engaged in unlawful mining activities in Ghana.

Describing the Chinese ‘galamseyers’ as recalcitrant people who blatantly refuse to adhere to Ghana’s mining and environmental laws, the deputy Speaker also likened their attitude to those of hardened armed robbers, who terrorize innocent Ghanaians.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bekwai, therefore, suggested the shooting-at-sight of illegal miners as the surest way to deterring them from their nefarious activities.

“These illegal Chinese miners are just like hardened armed robbers, who usually terrorize innocent people in society with their bad operations. Their recalcitrant behavior is destroying the source of livelihood of several communities in this country, especially within my constituency.

“They seem not to respect the laws of this country as they have blatantly ignored the ban on illegal mining imposed by the government”, he noted.

Hon. Osei Owusu, who was commenting on the recent arrest of five Chinese illegal miners, further stated: “I am therefore suggesting that the laws should be amended so that the Operation Vanguard can have the right to shoot and kill any illegal Chinese miner. “I am of the conviction that shooting to kill would serve as deterrent to their equally recalcitrant counterparts”.

Speaking in an interview with King Edward of Hello FM, the Bekwai MP said water bodies and farm lands are being destroyed on daily basis and called for more drastic measures if government intends to win its ‘War on Galamsey’.

According to him, the Chinese miners usually outwit the Operation Vanguard personnel by mining at night after the security personnel had gone to their base, and cautioned that if no stern action is taken any time soon, illegal miners would totally destroy the environment.

Source: Kwadwo Essel/ thePublisher