Withdraw Members Of Taskforce Against Whom Allegations Of High-handedness Have Been Made From The Team

Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Kwaku Baako Jnr. has stated that the alleged destruction of property by some members of the Inter-ministerial Taskforce Team set up by government to check activities of illegal mining and the infiltration of foreigners in the small scale mining sector, is reminiscent of the modus operandi of some members of the People�s Defense Committees (PDC) and the Workers Defense Committees (WDC), in the days of the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC). According to Mr Baako, reports of wanton destruction of assets belonging to these small-scale miners because they are operating without permit or have engaged the services of foreigners in that sector can �undermine an otherwise good project�. He drew a linkage of the allegations against the taskforce team to the activities of the PDC/WDC during the 1979 and 1981, where some people, choose to settle personal scores and carry out acts which were clearly borne out of envy under the guise of being members of these groups. ��that was when Mr. Rawlings made that famous statement about drawing that distinction between populist nonsense and popular sense. The PDCs and the WDCs overreached themselves and were doing all sorts of things and you know�that�s how come CDRs came into being,� Mr. Baaku explained. He further recounted one of the �excesses� which occurred during the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) era, where a whole building was demolished because of suspicion of goods being hoarded there. �Makola market, remember the famous demolishing with dynamite? It was a huge debate, even then�even among the Council that, why? Is that the solution?� he said. He believed on that occasion, the seizure of that house and the selling of the goods at controlled prices would have been a better option that the complete demolishing. Contributing to discussions on Metro TV on allegations by the Association of the Small Scale Miners and HANSOL Mining Company that the Inter-Ministerial set fire to equipment and stole cash and mobile phones of their members, the seasoned journalist cautioned against a repeat of the mistakes of the past where excesses, such as the allegations being leveled against the Task Force, have cost the country and its populace irreparable damage. He called on government to focus on the activities of the Task Force which could prove inimical to the growth of small-scale mining companies by withdrawing from the team, members against whom allegations have been brought for investigations and sanctioning. To him, this could go a long way reinforce the confidence of people in the Inter-Ministerial Taskforce team.