The head of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, Dr. Ken Ashigbey, blasted the new rules about kicking foreigners out of Ghana for illegal mining. He thinks everyone should face the same punishment. Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak told people in Accra on April 4 that his office wants to quickly send foreign lawbreakers back home instead of taking them to court.
Mubarak explained that they prefer removing non-citizens quickly rather than going through lengthy trials. He said he had already written to the Attorney General about this plan. The government also wants to ban these people from ever coming back to Ghana by putting their names on a special list that prevents their return.
Dr. Ashigbey fired back during a JoyNews interview that same day. He called the policy both against the law and unfair because it treats people differently based on where they come from. He said current laws already tell officials exactly what they should do with anybody caught mining illegally.
He pushed the minister to change course immediately without waiting for the President to step in. Ashigbey warned that this approach would backfire because criminals from other countries would keep coming because Ghana would just pay for their trip home when caught. He stressed that Ghana must enforce its laws equally for everyone to stop the destruction caused by illegal mining activities.
Mubarak explained that they prefer removing non-citizens quickly rather than going through lengthy trials. He said he had already written to the Attorney General about this plan. The government also wants to ban these people from ever coming back to Ghana by putting their names on a special list that prevents their return.
Dr. Ashigbey fired back during a JoyNews interview that same day. He called the policy both against the law and unfair because it treats people differently based on where they come from. He said current laws already tell officials exactly what they should do with anybody caught mining illegally.
He pushed the minister to change course immediately without waiting for the President to step in. Ashigbey warned that this approach would backfire because criminals from other countries would keep coming because Ghana would just pay for their trip home when caught. He stressed that Ghana must enforce its laws equally for everyone to stop the destruction caused by illegal mining activities.
