Senior Psychology Lecturer, Professor Joseph Osafo says government is using the wrong approach to resolve the galamsey menace in Ghana.
According to him, the approach used by the government will end up empowering the illegal miners instead of stopping them.
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has ordered a team of Military officers to remove all persons together with their equipment from galamsey sites.
As a result, the task force has been burning excavators belonging to the galamseyers.
Over 200 excavators and changfang machines have been destroyed in a joint military operation dubbed ”Operation Halt”.
Making his submissions on Peace FM’s morning show ”Kokrokoo”, Prof. Joseph Osafo described this government method as a ”desperate bottom-approach” which, to him, will not help the fight against galamsey.
He explained that the approach will only make the galamseyers grow numb to the punitive measures used against them and eventually bounce back with full force.
“The measures we’re taking are desperate bottom-approach measures. Over the years, we have used the same meaures. The question is how effective have they been? These bottom approach we’re taking, how effective is this approach?”, he asked.
He warned government saying ”using raw violence, I think we should be careful”.
