The New Patriotic Party Minority Caucus in Parliament has accused President John Dramani Mahama‘s administration of “using publicity stunts to mask its failure in tackling the galamsey menace.”
In a press statement issued on Monday by Mr. Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, the Ranking member on the Lands and Natural Resources Committee of Parliament and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the caucus expressed disappointment over the President’s recent meeting with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), describing it as a calculated move to downplay the urgency of the issue.
It said, “Instead of dealing decisively with this looming crisis, as promised when in opposition, the government has resorted to publicity gimmicks to sway the minds of unsuspecting Ghanaians from its failures.”
In the statement, Mr. Ampratwum Sarpong, also the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Mampong, said, “the government’s actions are mere rebranding of policies introduced by the previous administration, without showing real commitment to addressing the issue.”
It questioned the government’s political will to fight galamsey, citing the worsening state of water bodies, forests, and the health and livelihoods of Ghanaians.
According to the statement, the government’s responses at the CSOs’ encounter downplayed the urgency of the issue, arguing that, “Without a doubt, this government lacks the political will to fight galamsey and has merely resorted to the renaming of policies and programmes introduced by the Akufo-Addo government.”.
The Minority highlighted measures taken by the previous administration to combat galamsey, including establishing the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, Operation Vanguard, and training small-scale miners in environmentally sound practices.
It also mentioned the amendment of the Minerals and Mining Act to enhance punishment for offenses related to illegal mining.
The Minority Caucus urged CSOs, traditional leaders, and all stakeholders to speak out against the government’s inaction.
“The nation requires competent and effective governance in the public interest… Anything less would be a grave abdication of duty to the people of Ghana and to future generations,” the statement concluded.
