The Chief Executive of the Minerals Commission, Mr Tony Aubyn has denied calling for the suspension of the six-month moratorium on small scale mining as being speculated by some media reports.
Dr. Tony Aubyn said he sides with the government on the ban to ensure future mining is sanitized for posterity therefore he cannot be championing for it to be halted abruptly in such manner.
Panellists at an anti-illegal mining forum in Kumasi, including small-scale miners, say the devastating consequences of illegal mining could spell doom for the country if it is not halted immediately.
Consequently, five out of the six agreed to the six-month moratorium and called for a sustainable way of ensuring that future mining brought development to the country while at the same time protecting the environment.
But the representative of the small-scale miners association believed that the six- month moratorium must be lifted for them to work.
Dr. Tony Aubyn who was a co-chair of the function was alleged to have sympathized with the miners and calling on government to roll back the directives designed to clean up the mining sector so that the small scale miners could return to their concessions.
In a reaction to the widespread reports, Dr. Tony Aubyn indicated the reports were inaccurate.
Speaking on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM, he said: ” What I told them was if they’d done something in a good light to portray they are doing things differently from galamsey miners , it would have helped for government to limit the said ban or better still work speedily to reverse the ban. The government wants to embark on an audit of the system so that operators will conform to the acceptable and sustainable ways of mining. Its a good move I cannot be the one fighting against the course of government’s action on illegal mining(galamsey).”
Dr Aubyn said the era of blame game for the cause of the devastation through illegal mining activities must end, appealing to stakeholders to support government find solutions to the situation which threatened the future of the country.
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