A Justice nominee of the Supreme Court, Barbara Frances Ackah-Yensu, has proposed the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in handling cases involving illegal small-scale miners (Galamseyers).
She said this during her vetting by the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Tuesday, October 18.
Asked by Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu about the judicial response to the galamsey menace, she said “we will determine if any case comes before us on the harmful nature of galamsey, we will look at the particular circumstances of each case and apply the law and make the determination. But as a proponent of ADR, I think that the exception of environmental matters in the ADR Act probably will have to be looked at again so that we can try to apply ADR mechanisms in resolving.”
Are you recommending galamsey as the candidate for ADR resolution of the havoc that it causes to our water bodies? Mr Iddrisu asked again.
Ms Ackah-Yensu answered, “To an extent yes.”
On the impact of galamsey President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has indicated that the cost of treating water by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has gone up from ¢7000 per day to ¢80,000 per day due to the menace.
This makes a strong aces for the efforts to fight against galamsey to be increased through cooperation, he said.
Speaking in Konongo in the Ashanti Region as part of his tour of the region on Monday, October 17, Mr Akufo-Addo said “I am particularly concerned about the danger to the water source, because for instance [in Konongo], because of the galamsey phenomenon the cost of production of water by the GWCL has gone up from 7000 Cedis per day to now, 80,000 Cedis per day. It is clear that we all have to cooperate to put a stop to this galamsey menace.”
The President earlier said his administration’s fight against galamsey, is unprecedented.
He told Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II on Sunday at the Manhyia Palace.
“No government has shown commitment to the fight against galamsey than my government,” he stressed.
President Akufo-Addo said this on Day 1 of his four-day tour of the Ashanti Region.
He is expected to visit the Boankra integrated logistics terminal, also known as the Boankra inland port, and inspect progress of work.
He will also inspect the Agenda 111 project at Kokoben.
Source: 3news.com
