The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has challenged the government to, as a matter of urgency, account for all items seized in the fight against illegal mining (galamsey) over the last three years.
It has demanded a public exhibition of all 900 excavators, 2,779 weapons and ammunitions and the 4,045 other mining equipment confiscated as listed in paragraph 801 of the 2020 Budget Statement presented to Parliament.
“We are terrified at the prospect of all these weapons finding their way into the hands of hoodlums belonging to NPP vigilante groups in an election year,” the NDC Communications Officer , Sammy Gyamfi said at a press conference held at the banks of the Twifo Praso stretch of River Pra, in the Central Region yesterday.
He said the NDC, would, in the coming days, petition the United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, to revoke the appointment of President Akufo-Addo as Co-Chair of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) Advocates.
“Clearly, President Akufo-Addo has failed to show genuine commitment to the fight against illegal mining and the protection of the environment in his own backyard.
“His corrupt government has become an active enabler and promoter of the “galamsey” menace and the destruction of the environment in a way that affronts the SDGs of the United Nations.”
According to Mr Gyamfi, the President “has proven to be unfit for the prestigious position of Co-Chair of the UN SDGs Advocates, for which reason he must be removed without delay.”
Mr Gyamfi said the current state of river bodies in the country was evident of the failed fight, saying “In fact, that so called fight turned out to be a ruse to kick out legal small scale miners and artisanal “galamseyers” and replace them with a new breed of marauding illegal miners belonging to the ruling New Patriotic Party and government,” he said.
The communication officer asserted that; “The destructive manifestation of “Galamsey” being supervised by President Akufo-Addo in Ghana defeats the UN’s SDGs, which Ghana subscribes to.
“It is an affront to notably, SDG 6, 13, 14 and 15 which all talk about clean water, sanitation, climate action, conservation and sustainability of land, water and marine resources”, he said.
He said the President had failed to make do his solemn promise to the nation to put his Presidency on the line to fight the galamsey menace to protect our environment from further degradation.
According to Mr Gyamfi, “Galamsey” had intensified to unprecedented levels in the last three years, while the Akufo-Addo government continued to spend millions of taxpayer’s monies ostensibly fighting the canker.
“ The countless number of polluted water bodies in several parts of our country such as river Pra, river Ankobra, river Offin, river Birem among others, is enough testament to the fact that Ghanaians have been taken for a ride by President Akufo-Addo, who continues to supervise and promote the escalation of the illegal mining menace,” he said.
Mr Gyamfi hinted that the Special Prosecutor would soon be petitioned to investigate the latest revelations of alleged thievery and corruption that had characterised the Akufo-Addo administration’s fraudulent “galamsey” fight.
“We wholeheartedly support that petition, and wish to call on the Special Prosecutor to act swiftly this time around. His lackadaisical attitude on the Anas Galamsey fraud documentary has not helped,” he said.
BY TIMES REPORTER
