Dr. Ayew Afriyie, the Member of Parliament for Effiduase Asokore and Chairman of Parliament’s Health Committee, has made it clear that the government has no plans to impose a ban on illegal mining, also known as galamsey, in the near future. His comments come amid growing concerns from environmental groups and political opponents calling for more decisive action against the destructive effects of galamsey on Ghana’s water bodies and natural resources.
Speaking at the launch of the Bawumia Volunteers 2024 (B24) in Kumasi, Dr. Afriyie acknowledged the political implications of such a move, explaining that a complete ban on illegal mining could hurt the New Patriotic Party (NPP) politically, especially in mining constituencies where many voters depend on mining for their livelihoods. He indicated that the party is conscious of the potential electoral backlash from banning galamsey ahead of the upcoming elections.
Dr. Afriyie also remarked that Ghana’s water bodies had been in better condition in the past and claimed that the influx of foreign nationals into the illegal mining sector has worsened the environmental situation. He blamed the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for politicizing the issue, alleging that the NDC had facilitated the entry of foreigners into the sector to undermine the NPP’s standing in mining communities.
“The NDC saw that we were winning the seats in the mining areas, so they brought in foreigners to engage in illegal mining and destroy our water bodies. This issue started only recently, and someone is using it as a political tool to force the NPP to stop galamsey so we lose those seats. We are not going to stop them today or tomorrow,” Dr. Afriyie stated.
He also criticized media coverage of galamsey, claiming that journalists were exaggerating the issue by focusing on urban areas like Accra, while the real problems are happening in mining regions like Kumasi.
SOURCE: Ernest K. Arhinful
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