Chairman of the Progressive People’s Party, Nii Allotey Brew Hammond has indicated that the Party will haul President Akufo Addo to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity, if he fails to halt illegal mining (galamsey) activities in the country in three months.
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| Nii Allotey Brew Hammond addressing the press |
Speaking
on the illegal mining menace at a press conference held on Monday, 10th
April, 2017 at the party’s headquarters in Accra, he bewailed the extent to
which foreigners especially, Chinese have devastated the country’s lands and
water bodies, and the lack of political will on the part of government to
prosecute and extradite all foreigners engaged in illegal mining. “We expect the NPP government to gather the
political will to prosecute and extradite all foreign galamseyers from Ghana so
that our farmers can cultivate more crops to improve their individual
livelihoods and that of the nation collectively.”
“Can a Ghanaian travel to China or any other
country to destroy their water bodies? Will they be spared? Or will leaders of
such countries tolerate our leaders, calling on their citizens who complain to
order as the Chinese are asking us to do?” He quizzed.
Nii Allotey Brew Hammond also condemned in no
uncertain terms the act of lawlessness being perpetuated by NPP affiliated
vigilante group, Delta force, and called on the IGP to disband all political
party affiliated vigilante groups immediately.
“As you are already aware, NPP’s Delta force
in Kumasi, took the law into their own hands and forcibly removed the Ashanti
Regional Security Coordinator from office under the full glare of Ghana Police
officers. A week later, another group besieged the offices of the Eastern
Regional National Health Insurance Scheme, and forcibly locked the office of
the Regional Manager. We demand that the Inspector General of
Police (IGP), Mr. David Asante Apeatu, disbands all political vigilante groups
in the country to put an end to the growing act of lawlessness being
perpetuated by these groups.”
Below is the full statement:
STATEMENT
PRESENTED BY THE PROGRESSIVE PEOPLE’S PARTY (PPP) AT A PRESS CONFERENC@E TO
ADDRESS THE LAWLESSNESS IN GHANA ON MONDAY, 10TH APRIL 2017 AT THE
PARTY HEADQUARTERS, ASYLUM DOWN - ACCRA.
Introduction
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and
welcome to this press conference.
We have called this press conference with a
sense of urgency to first, address the crisis of devastation of our
environment; particularly, poisoning of our water resources by illegal miners,
also known as “Galamsey” operators and secondly, to deal with the acts of
terrorism unleashed on public officers and institutions by political party
sponsored vigilante groups.
The PPP condemns in strongest terms the current lawlessness going on in our country and the
clear lack of leadership by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to deal with
it, as well as the hypocrisy and complicity of the opposition National
Democratic Congress (NDC) as an all-time key contributor and actor in the
crisis on our hands.
We demand that the President takes
urgent steps to stop the lawlessness with immediate effect, to save our country
from degenerating into an ungovernable society and a sure candidate for failure
as a state, under his watch.
- The illegal Mining Menace
Ladies and gentlemen, we are all aware of
illegal mining in Ghana and how that has already poisoned majority of the
nation’s water bodies, degraded farm lands and is threatening to dry up sources
of treatable water, to the extent that we would have to import safe drinking
water in less than five years, if the galamsey menace is not stopped with
immediate effect.
The devastation of our environment by galamsey
did not start today. It has been round for decades under the watch of both NDC
and NPP administrations that have, by their omissions and commissions
benefitted from its proceeds while in government but turn around to blame the
other when in opposition and vice versa.
It is recalled sadly, how in the heat of the
2016 election campaigns, some illegal miners in Obuasi demonstrated against a
quit order from the Minerals Commission ordering them to stop gold mining
within the concession of Anglogold Ashanti (AGA). The NDC, then seeking
re-election looked on for the illegal miners to have their way, because it
feared enforcing the quit orders would affect its electoral fortunes.
Reliable information in our possession from
the Ministry of Lands and Natural
Resources indicates that 60% to 70% of excavators in Ghana are not used for
road construction but rather, illegal mining activities.
The question is; how are the excavators able
to move to the mining sites without the knowledge of the Police and the
security agencies? Can the NDC and NPP who have ruled this country for 25
years, say they are not aware of the destruction such illegal activities have
caused to our farm lands, water bodies, forest reserves and the general health
of our people? Is it true that a former Minister for Lands and Natural
Resources issued licenses to the Chinese for $40,000.00?
Cocoa farmers have been compelled to sell
their farm lands for galamsey cash because the state has failed to guarantee
the safety and security of their investments as farmers. No wonder, Ghana
continues to experience a reduction of about 100,000 tons per annum in the
production of cocoa, contributing to the global reduction trends expected to
hit about one million tons.
We simply cannot allow illegal miners to
destroy our cocoa growing regions like; the Brong Ahafo, Western, Ashanti and
Eastern Regions, all because some people have decided to mine outside the law,
and operate their mining activities in prohibited areas in gross violation of
the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (703).
To that end, we want to commend the recently
launched media coalition against illegal mining and encourage them to continue
with the concerted effort to help put a stop to galamsey in Ghana. We want to
assure the coalition that they have a reliable partner in the PPP as a party in
opposition and PPP as a party soon to be in government. We want to send a
warning shot to both private and public sector actors that the environment in
Ghana is no longer their playground.
We wish to assure Ghanaians that such
unwarranted provocation and disrespect for our sovereignty will never happen
under the watch of a PPP government. It is our fervent hope that the
devastation caused by galamsey will not continue to be lost on the NPP
administration and that they will find it necessary to deal with it surgically
without fear or favour. We are giving the Akufo Addo
led-government a three month ultimatum to STOP GALAMSEY operation in Ghana. Failure to do so shall compel us
to drag him to the International Criminal Court (ICC)
for crimes against humanity.
- Political Party affiliated vigilante
groups
Ladies and gentlemen, galamsey is not the only
threat we live under as a nation. Since 1992, we have seen an uptick in the
atrocities of political party-affiliated vigilante groups. These groups have
been emboldened of late because they are said to be responsible for the NDC and
NPP winning power in Ghana and government must necessarily find space for them
in our constitutional democracy.
Ladies and gentlemen, this degrading assertion
throws up the question; where is the power of the people? Did the people of
Ghana vote for change or the vigilante groups did? Why should Azorka Boys,
Bamba Boys, Invincible Forces, Kandaha Boys, Bolga Bulldogs and Delta Force
determine our destiny as a democracy? Do we have leadership in Ghana? And is
this the change Ghanaians voted for?
The Greek philosopher, Plato once said:
"Where the law is subject to some other
authority and has none of its own, the collapse of the state, in my view, is
not far off; but if law is the master of the government and the government is
its slave, then the situation is full of promise and men enjoy all the
blessings that the gods shower on a state.”
Ladies and gentlemen, just think about this
and relate it to the impunity in Ghana today.
When the former President, John Mahama granted
a pardon to the “Montie Three” who were serving a four-month jail term for
scandalizing the court, we (including the NPP then in opposition) rightly
condemned Mahama's poor judgment. His action of arbitrarily exercising the prerogative
of mercy was a contributing factor to the defeat of the NDC in the 2016
elections. But did the NPP deserve to benefit from that change?
Last week, the thirteen suspects of the Delta
force who were sent to the KMA Circuit court were freed by some members of the
group. This is tantamount to jail break. What do you think could be fueling
this impunity which has reared its ugly head in our country? For how long must
we continue to live in the cuckoo’s nest knowing how difficult it is to escape?
In this moral dilemma we are in, should we be ruled by law or by men? Where in
the world can a vigilante group besiege a court premise and take custody of
accused persons?
If the Chinese and other nationals resident in
the country hear such stories, why would they not behave the same way? We
understand that in our criminal justice system, the government retains broad
discretion as to whom to prosecute. But this does not also mean that we should
allow ourselves to be haunted by the stark images of desuetude, impunity and
abuse of power.
Any country where political party sponsored
groups are more powerful than legally sanctioned security officers, and
agencies can be likened to the Anarchist Republic of Cospaia. The blunt truth
is that we must end this jocular depiction of the survival of the fittest
principle we want to create in Ghana. We need to be mindful of the type of
country we are gradually building.
It is unacceptable for us to even think of our
country becoming a leaderless republic. Let us refuse to tolerate the
Invincible forces, Delta forces, Kandaha boys, Azorka boys, Bamba boys,
Landguards and all other Militia whose activities are fully funded by political
parties and their agents to foment trouble in our country.
Let us think about these groups and be
reminded of Rebel groups in war-torn countries. We must realize that any
attempt to bring in militia to deal with political opponents is bound to
boomerang with dangerous consequences. We cannot allow these groups to flourish
while we indirectly make the legitimate security services almost powerless.
We wish to remind Ghanaians that the
President, his Vice, Ministers of State, Judges, Officers of Security agencies,
Members of Parliament, and all government appointees pledge first and foremost
to uphold the 1992 Constitution. These oaths affirm that the rule of law is
superior to the rule of any human leader. We should be careful not to allow
Political party militia and vigilante groups to be seen as
"untouchables" in our country. This is shameful and our country
urgently needs leadership to act decisively in this situation.
Ghanaians should not be deceived by this
“by-force duopoly” as the accepted form of democracy and expect any different
performance from the government they vote into power. During the 2016 campaign,
we warned Ghanaians that real change would only happen if we voted for the PPP
and that voting for either of the two would bring chaos. The truth is, we get
what we vote for!
We demand that the
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. David Asante Apeatu, disbands all
political vigilante groups in the country to put an end to the growing act of
lawlessness being perpetuated by these groups. Formation of vigilante groups by political
parties is not backed by any law.
Hence, political party-affiliated vigilante
groups are illegal entities that must not be allowed to operate.
We should recall that in January 2016, the
then IGP, Mr. John Kudalor assured Ghanaians publicly of the police service
commitment to disband all political party-affiliated vigilante groups. Yet the
police service failed to dissolve a single vigilante group. What is happening
now is a result of the failure of the Ghana Police Service to honour its
promise to disband political party affiliated vigilante groups in the past.
We must take a cue from the Nigerian
experience, where a small politically motivated vigilante group formed to
frustrate opponents has become terrorist group (Boko Haram) wreaking havoc on
innocent people because no effort was made to dissolve it.
The Progressive People’s Party will not
condone any act of lawlessness from any vigilante group in Ghana. Enough is
enough, many people have suffered at the hands of vigilante groups, and it is
time to dissolve them. Ghana will not be a breeding ground for terrorist
groups.
We therefore, demand that, the IGP immediately
disband all political party affiliated vigilante groups, and arrest and
prosecute members of the groups culpable for causing harm to innocent people
and damaging state assets.
Political party vigilantism MUST STOP
NOW!!!
Conclusion
We as Ghanaians credit ourselves with
stability in government transition, but we must not be so cocky as to ignore
the real threats in front of us. There are fissures in our system, cracks that
must be addressed, leaks that must be stopped and fully repaired, or we will be
surprised by a sudden flood. Let us watch, pray, and act now. Let us Awake to
enjoy Prosperity-In-Peace
God save our homeland Ghana!
Thank you
