The Spokesperson for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer Joyce Bawa Mogtari has said that the next NDC government will consider granting amnesty to illegal miners awaiting trial or serving jail terms.
In a media engagement on June 24, 204, Joyce Bawa-Mogtari condemned the selective application of justice, where foreign nationals and government appointees linked to illegal mining have been spared, while ordinary Ghanaians face the consequences.
“If there are many of our brothers and sisters languishing in prisons because of illegal mining, certainly this is a matter that we must look at within the context of the Frimpong Boateng Report, within the context of the corruption that has engulfed Akufo-Addo and his government, within the context of the allegations which Mr Mahama has pledged to investigate and prosecute where possible,” Mogtari said.
According to Mogtari, the practice of rounding up people and imprisoning them without a fair trial, sometimes for years, warrants a thorough investigation and demands urgent interventions to rectify this miscarriage of justice.
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She added that the next NDC government will adopt a community-driven approach to combat illegal mining, engaging stakeholders in affected areas to ensure that their voices are heard and their interests are represented.
“Note that all these joint actions have largely been maybe joint military action, joint police, joint citizens that, but it has never actually worked in tandem with stakeholders. Various opinion leaders are very worried about this canker,” she said.
The Spokesperson for the NDC flagbearer, John Mahama, said a future NDC government will dedicate $500 million to eradicating illegal mining in a comprehensive effort to address environmental degradation and promote sustainable development.
“John Mahama actually said in his speech at the University of Mines and Energy, for example, that at least $500 million will be deployed first into research to get data and of course using modern technology,” she said.
