info@businessghana.com
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) has been called upon to urgently intervene in a matter where 4 farmers were arrested on Farmers’ Day for trying to prevent illegal miners from poisoning the Atronsu Stream, which is the only source of drinking water in Atronsu.
In an open letter to the IGP, dated Friday, 8th November, the Eco-Conscious Citizens Founder and Coordinator, Awula Serwah said that it had come to the attention of Eco-Conscious Citizens that on Friday, 8th November, when Ghana was marking Farmers' Day and acknowledging the importance of farmers to the national wellbeing of Ghanaians, four farmers were arrested in Atronsu for allegedly burning an excavator used by the illegal miners. These farmers, the letter said, were also Community Activists heeding the President's call to be Active Citizens and not Spectators.
The letter noted with concern that the arrest of the farmers was in sharp contrast to the reluctance of the Police to arrest the illegal miners who had been recklessly polluting and actively poisoning the Atronsu Stream, the only source of drinking water that provided life and sustenance to the Atronsu community.
The letter pointed out that the Activists had, for months, been complaining about the pollution of the once pristine Atronsu Stream by illegal miners. Despite their formal complaints, the illegal miners continued their criminal activities with impunity. The letter said that the illegal miners were eventually arrested, but promptly given police bail and were quick to return to their illegal mining activities and pollution of the Atronsu Stream.
It noted that the granting of bail to the illegal miners was in sharp contrast to the treatment of the anti-galamsey demonstrators who were repeatedly denied police bail.
Eco-Conscious Citizens therefore respectfully urged the IGP to counter the growing impression that the Police were facilitating the activities of illegal miners by intervening to ensure that the activists were granted police bail.
The letter pointed out that the growing perception of selective justice did not inspire confidence in the Ghana Police, whose mandate was to serve and protect.
The letter observed that even in war, poisoning of water bodies was a war crime and therefore, to appear to condone the criminal activities of the illegal miners, whilst wielding the law heavily on the victims of the crime committed by the miners would be an extremely unfortunate injustice.
Awula Serwah
ecoconsciouscitizens@gmail.com
https://Linktr.ee/EcoConsciousCitizens
Heads Up: Eco-Conscious Citizens will be organising an Anti-Galamsey Conference & Mini-Concert + A Call Out For Aspiring Presidential & Parliamentary Candidates To Sign Up Environmental Demands on Saturday November 23 2024, 5.00-8.00pm. This will take place on the outskirts of Accra and in via a webinar. You can ecoconsciouscitizens@gmail.com to express your interest.
