We don’t need dialogue to fight galamsey, allow the laws to work – Bobi Banson

A legal practitioner, Lawyer Bobi Banson has said the country does not need dialogue to fight illegal mining but enforcement of existing laws governing the sector.

He has therefore, called on government to grant the appropriate authorities responsible for the sector, the political will to be able to carry out their duties effectively and efficiently.

“If we really want to fight this galamsey we do not need a dialogue, we need to allow the laws to work. Those who are in charge of enforcing it should be given the political will to go up there and stop it. If they go to the forest they will find those doing it and stop them,” he said.

Lawyer Banson was speaking on the KeyPoint on TV3 on Saturday April 18, monitored by GhanaPlus.com.

He was contributing to discussions on the two-days National Consultative Dialogue organized by the Forestry Commission of Ghana to solicit views, proposals and suggestions from stakeholders to sustain and manage the mining sector.

He explained, every water body destroyed by the activities of the illegal miners was tantamount to a life destroyed adding what was lacking in the country’s fight was the political will and not dialogue.

 Lack of political will on part of governments hampering galamsey fight

He blamed the country’s inability to deal with the canker destroying arable lands and water bodies on lack of political will on the part of governments now and previously.

“I think the problem people who do not have the politic clutch or the social standing are stopped from engaging in these activities while those who have political covering are allowed to go on with it. I think that is what we have to say because this is allegedly the truth”.

Allow the laws to work

He maintained, the dialogue would not change anything until law enforcement agencies were granted the political will and necessary accoutrements to function properly and deal with offenders who breach the laws.

“It a national issue and whoever has the political power lack the political will to fight it the way it should, this dialogue will not change the loaf, allow the laws to work,” he said.

Source: GhanaPlus.com