Let IGP lead the galamsey fight - Prof. Charles Marfo to government

Prof. Charles Marfo, Provost of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology’s (KNUST) College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CoHSS), has echoed the clarion call for the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare to be entrusted with the fight against illegal mining popularly known as galamsey in the country, Purefmonline.com reports.

The former President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) in an interview with Kwame Adinkrah on Kumasi-based Pure FM stated that the IGP has shown competence through his high-class tactical abilities and has over the period exerted the qualities needed to garner gains concerning the leadership responsibilities required to combat the galamsey menace.

According to him, Government’s efforts to suppress galamsey activities so far do fall short of rewards and punishments modalities which he describes as a key ingredient to sustain the fight.

He stated that the IGP has matured with such potential to tighten the loopholes and gaps in the galamsey fight processes.

“Kwame, the last time, I heard you in one of the viral videos recommending the IGP, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare as the man befitting for the galamsey fight job. I think so too.

Let us look at this, for instance, he was denigrated for introducing the system where competent relatives replace officers who die in the line of duty, but Kwame, what has been the overall feedback and the attitude of our officers after this system was introduced?

These are the rewards and punishments I am talking about. When I commit myself to the nation and I am gone, what happens to my family?”

“We need a formidable system to cater for rewards, benefits or emoluments of front liners (security personnel) commissioned to these illegal mining areas.

Such modalities will ingrain patriotism and uncompromising commitment toward the national course.

This and many more I think Dampare is likely to bring on board if he’s left to lead the charge in the galamsey fight.”

“The illegal mining sector has tendencies to corrupt those security officers ordained to fight galamsey. Without any modalities, when these military officers are pushed into the forests and see these miners living lavishly, what do we expect them to do?” He quizzed.

The KNUST CoHSS Provost further re-echoed his description of Dr. Dampare as a brilliant policy maker, referring to his latest instituted rewarding systems in the Police Service; an emergency medical fund and replacement of officers who die in the line of duty with the deceased qualified family member into the Police force.

Such tactful packages, according to him, will eliminate diabolic thoughts questioning the essence of committing oneself to the success of a national need.