Professor Christopher Gordon, former Director of the Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies at the University of Ghana, has strongly opposed calls to authorize security forces to use lethal force against illegal miners as a means to combat galamsey.
His comments follow Deputy Speaker of Parliament Joseph Osei Owusu’s recent proposal to empower security agencies to shoot individuals engaged in illegal mining, amid growing concerns about the devastation caused by galamsey.
This stance has led to increasing demands from citizens and civil society to completely ban small-scale mining.
Speaking at the Achimota Speaks event in Accra on November 13, Professor Gordon stated that resorting to lethal measures is neither effective nor humane.
He stressed the importance of preserving Ghana’s human capital and urged for sustainable solutions to tackle the challenges posed by illegal mining and its impact on communities and the environment.
“I have seen many comments advocating for shoot-to-kill policies. I want to be clear: shoot-to-kill is not an option. It is not an option. We cannot afford to lose part of our human capital by resorting to violence. This is fundamentally a matter of values and honor.”
