In a country where there is unanimous agreement about the existential threat that illegal mining poses to us, recent pronouncements and actions by the Hon. Interior Minister, Muntaka Mubarak are not only absurd, but they are also treasonous. 

According to the Minister, foreigners who break our laws, and create #ecocide through the deliberate poisoning of our land and waterbodies should just be deported, not prosecuted. He claimed, with pride, that 107 foreigners engaged in illegal mining have been deported. Sadly, this contravenes the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) 2019 Act 995 , Section 99, Subsection 3, which prescribes

(a) a fine of not less than one hundred thousand penalty units and not more than three hundred and fifty thousand penalty units, and
(b) a term of imprisonment of not less than twenty years and not more than twenty-five years; or
(c) both the fine and the term of imprisonment."

To say that we are disappointed in the Minister and President Mahama's loud silence over this absurdity is an understatement. We have high expectations for this government, and acts like this only serve to erode goodwill.