- Dr. Ayew Afriyie has stated that the government has no plans to ban illegal mining
- He asserted that such a ban could lead to significant losses for the party
- He accused the NDC of being complicit in this issue
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Effiduase Asokore and Chairman of Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr. Ayew Afriyie, has definitively stated that the government has no plans to ban illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, either in the present or the foreseeable future.
His remarks come amidst growing calls from environmental activists and opposition parties for stricter measures to address the devastating impact of galamsey on Ghana’s water bodies and ecosystems.
Speaking at the launch of the Bawumia Volunteers 2024 (B24) campaign in Kumasi, Dr. Afriyie suggested that the NPP government is cognizant of the potential political consequences of a galamsey ban, particularly in mining constituencies.
He asserted that such a ban could lead to significant losses for the party in the upcoming elections, as it would alienate constituents who depend on the mining industry for their livelihoods.
Dr. Afriyie further emphasized that Ghana’s water bodies were previously clean and that the introduction of foreign nationals into the galamsey sector has exacerbated the environmental crisis.
He accused the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of being complicit in this issue by allegedly importing foreigners to engage in illegal mining, thereby politicizing the problem for their own benefit.
“The NDC realized that we [NPP] were winning the seats in the mining areas, so they decided to import foreigners to engage in illegal mining on our water bodies,” Dr. Afriyie claimed. “The water bodies were not a problem until now, it just started one month ago. There is someone behind this, trying to force the NPP government to stop galamsey so that we will lose the seats. We won’t stop them [Galamseyers] today or tomorrow.”
He continued, “Then they take their journalists to talk about it. Is galamsey done in Accra? They should come to Kumasi to demonstrate against galamsey; they’ll see.”
