Retired Colonel Festus Aboagye, a Security Analyst, has urged the government to take immediate steps to address the unregulated nature of the mining sector in Ghana.
His comments follow a violent clash on Saturday, January 18, between illegal miners and military personnel stationed at the AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) Obuasi Mine.
Speaking to Channel One News, Col. Aboagye criticised the government’s inaction, attributing it to political and partisan considerations.
According to him, the lack of effective regulation in the mining sector has created an environment of lawlessness, leading to violent incidents such as what occurred at AngloGold Ashanti.
Col. Aboagye called for decisive measures to restore order in the mining industry, warning that failure to act could result in further violence and instability.
“It also serves as a signal to the government that the mining sector or its concession, being the river bodies, and forest reserves, constitutes one significant risk that we need to tackle seriously. We have allowed that system to be uncontrolled obviously for partisan and political reasons.
“This incident draws attention to the need for the government as quickly as it can to set in motion some processes to bring some sanity, calm and control in that area,” he stated.