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Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has kicked against the burning of excavators used in illegal mining (galamsey).

The Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor has sactioned the destruction of excavators by soldiers deployed to remove all persons and machinery in the mining areas.

The Minister, speaking at the ''Meet the Press'' series held at the Ministry of Information on Tuesday, May 11, justified why excavators used in mining areas deserve to be set ablaze.

"What will an excavator be doing on River Pra? What will an excavator be doing on River Offin or a changfang be doing on River Pra? Ghanaians and all of us, I will respectfully submit, that we should interrogate the issue from that point before we get to the stage of what has happened to that excavator and that is it right or wrong to decommission that excavator.

"In terms of the social debate, I will once again contend that we begin the debate from what will an excavator possibly be doing on a river body and if, as a people, we're able to answer that question that, yes, an excavator can be there to construct a road or do some sort of activity which is in the interest of the public or which is good and so on and so forth, then we can begin to make some efforts and can begin to move forward on that. But if we come to the conclusion that an excavator ought not to be on a river body and it's not as though we woke one night overnight and said all excavators on river bodies will be decommissioned. We never did so," he said.

He branded the burning of excavators by the Military as a patriotic job.

"I very strongly but respectfully conclude by saying that it's either we're fighting this menace or we're not. It's either we're determined to clear our water bodies and forest reserves or we are not. We cannot waver in this matter. So, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and, for that matter, government supports the Ghana Armed Forces in this patriotic work they're engaged in."

But reacting to the issue on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Kweku Baako stated emphatically that it is 'mindless' and 'lawless'.

He argued that Ghana is a law-governed State and everything must be done according to the laws of the country but burning excavators is a violation of the laws.

"It's mindless. It's lawless because this is a law-governed society. And if you make laws and feel the laws are impossible to implement, there is an option. Just amend the law but you don't make which I have here and actually let the law prevail but go out there to violate the law and it's a State institution or State actors who are engaged in that violation, that mindless, lawless action," he exclaimed.

He outlined what the law permits to be done to the excavators.

" . . the law says when you seize it, those using it illegally must be taken to court and by the time you're sending them to court, you must leave those things in Police custody. When the court is done and convicts them, the court hands over the equipment to the appropriate Ministry; in this case it will be Lands and Natural Resources or so. And then they, on behalf of the State, determine which State institution to give them to."

To him, the excuse that the excavators should be burned in order not to repeat earlier incident where some went missing after being seized is also lame.

"Those who seized the earlier excavators, are they known? Were they responsible citizens of the nation, State actors? So if excavators are missing at the time you seized them, aren't you to be held responsible? Again, are we saying the law doesn't make provision for that?'', he asked.

Kweku Baako emphasized that those burning the excavators are acting against the laws and therefore liable to prosecution.

''You know the law. The law says if you see these things, send them to the Police custody and so when you seize them and don't send them to Police custody, you have violated the law and you're liable for prosecution. So, I don't see why we should take the option, apparently a zero option, of burn them out of our desperation and impotence.''