Open Letter to Inspector General of Police on Arrest Of 4 Farmers On Farmers' Day

Dear IGP,
Selective Justice? Pollution of Atronsu Stream, the Only Source of Drinking Water in Atronsu.

It has come to the attention of Eco-Conscious Citizens that today 8th November, when Ghana is marking Farmers' Day and acknowledging their importance to our national wellbeing, four farmers have been arrested in Atronsu.

The farmers who are also Community Activists heeding the President's call to be Active Citizens and not Spectators, were arrested for allegedly burning an excavator used by illegal miners.

Their arrest is in sharp contrast to the reluctance of the Police to arrest the illegal miners who have been recklessly polluting the Atronsu Stream that provides life and sustenance to the Atronsu community.

It is of concern that the Illegal miners who have been actively poisoning the only source of drinking water in Atronsu are walking free.

The Activists have for months been complaining about the pollution of the once pristine Atronsu Stream, by illegal miners.

Despite their formal complaints, the illegal miners continued their criminal activities with impunity. Eco-Conscious Citizens Coordinator Awula Serwah also informally complained to the Police and the EPA.

The illegal miners were eventually arrested, but promptly given police bail. They were quick to return to their illegal mining activities and pollution of the Atronsu Stream.

The optics do not look good.
The granting of bail to the illegal miners is in sharp contrast to the treatment of the anti-galamsey demonstrators who were repeatedly denied police bail.

Eco-Conscious Citizens therefore respectfully urge you to counter the growing impression that the Police are facilitating the activities of illegal miners by intervening to ensure that the activists are granted police bail.

The growing perception of selective justice does not inspire confidence in Ghana Police, whose mandate is to serve and protect.

We note that even in war, poisoning of water bodies is a war crime. To appear to condone the criminal activities of the illegal miners, whilst wielding the law heavily on the victims of the crime committed by the miners would be an extremely unfortunate injustice.

We respectfully appeal to you to urgently intervene in this matter.

BY Awula Serwah
Eco-Conscious Citizens founder/coordinator
[email protected]

https://Linktr.ee/EcoConsciousCitizens