Prestea-Nsuta-tragedy: Lands minister has failed, must resign - Mutawakilu

Deputy Minority spokesperson on Energy is calling for the immediate resignation of the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Peter Amewu for what he describes as a failure to end illegal mining within the period he promised Ghanaians.

According to Adam Mutawakilu the Lands and Natural Resources ministry must take ultimate responsibility for the collapse of a mining pit in Prestea Nsuta in which some 17 persons were trapped.

He described the tragedy as a "big slap" on the face of the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry. For him, the Minister has totally failed in playing his role as far as the elimination of the ‘galamsey’ menace is concerned. He said the Minister though promised to end the threat within a given time, has done nothing to that effect.

"He gave an ultimatum that come this day, there will not be galamsey in Ghana and we are hearing of pit falling not only galamsey that is even killing our people", he explained.

A pit, said to be more than 80 meters deep caved in trapping 17 victims for over 48 hours after a heavy downpour on Sunday. So far, one body has been recovered out of the 17 that were trapped.

The latest mining disaster comes at a time when the government is fighting illegal mining across the country.

A number of arrests have been made and excavators owned by the galamsey miners have been seized by the government taskforce set up to fight illegal mining.