Small-scale miners in the country should ignore former President John Mahama’s criticism of the Akufo-Addo government’s use of the military in fighting illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) since the ex-president is a “conman”, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu has said.

Addressing a sea of supporters of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) during its Unity Walk in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Mr Mahama said although “it is true that if we don’t do something about it [illegal small-scale mining], it will destroy the environment”, “we need to apply wisdom because we’ve chased young people involved in illegal small-scale mining with soldiers in the past in this country, but it didn’t work.”

Reacting to Mr Mahama’s criticism, Mr Amewu told journalists that: “What has Mahama been able to do? Today, we have created a lot of mining districts, we’ve created 12 mining districts and 33 satellite districts.

“We are bringing mining back to the decentralisation level. The small-scale mining which was the status quo was supposed to have mining communities.

“These were not inaugurated in all the years Mahama was president, we have just inaugurated them, bringing mining to the community of the owners of the resources.

“Decentralisation, this is the approach, so, I am so disappointed in [Mr Mahama]. He cannot address the problems. I’m telling the small-scale miners that this gentleman is a conman. He’s deceiving them and if they dare go in for him just because of galamsey, this country will come down.”