Operation Halt II: Soldiers are humans, they can be compromised - Pratt

Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has cast doubts over the confidence of the Military to combat the galamsey menace.

According to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, the Military will be fully in charge of 'Operation Halt II', the second phase of the exercise aimed at stopping the galamsey.

The Minister noted in an interview on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo" that the Operation Halt II has commenced with the soldiers seizing some excavators belonging to the galamseyers.

"As I speak with you now, they have seized almost close to 30 excavators. It has already begun. It started about two or three days ago and it's going to be sustainable...The soldiers are going to go on for as long as it takes.

"They will decide. They will make those decisions, not me, the Minister...they will have command and control responsibility in terms of when to go, how to go, where to go, how to go about their operations; all of it will be in the hands of the Military. We are responsible for policy but they will conduct operational implementation," he said.

Touching on the subject during "Kokrokoo" on Peace FM, Kwesi Pratt opined that people should not think the soldiers cannot be compromised in the mandate given them.

He argued that the soldiers are "humans like us".

"They don't put water in their vehicle. They pay for fuel too . . . They are humans like everybody is. They don't have the real power. The real power is vested in the leaders," he stated.