Small-Scale miners in the Upper East Region have threatened to take legal action against the Akufo-Addo-led government if the ban on small-scale mining is not lifted immediately.
In order to help protect water bodies and save the country’s forests from depletion, the Akufo-Addo-led government has launched a war on illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) which has resulted in a six-month moratorium on all forms of small-scale mining activities in the country.
But the small-scale miners believe that the modus operandi adopted by the government is wrong. They believe the government must delink galamsey from small-scale miners who operate legally – those who operate with license – in this endeavour.
Speaking in an interview with Accra 100.5FM yesterday, spokesperson for the small-scale miners in the Upper East Region, Mr. John Yaro, said: “We are giving the government two weeks to lift the ban on mining otherwise we will sue the government.
“We are not illegal miners. We are licenced small-scale miners. The state gave us the license to mine and so why is the government asking those of us, the legal miners, not to do our business.
“The rule of law must work and government would have to pay us for the six-month ban imposed on us. My children are unable to attend school because I can’t work.”