The Coordinator for Eco-Conscious Citizens, Awula Serwah, has criticized the government’s plan to deport foreign nationals involved in illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, without prosecution. Speaking on Channel One TV’s ‘Big Issue’, Serwah described the government’s reason for deportation as a “lame excuse”.
Serwah emphasized that if foreigners engage in activities that pose an existential threat to Ghanaians, the best course of action would be to prosecute them, not just deport them. “You have to send a strong message that you cannot come and poison us and go scot-free,” she stressed.
Serwah also advocated for the application of the ‘polluter pays’ principle, where assets of convicted individuals are sold to fund the cost of cleaning up the environmental damage caused by their activities.
Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
