The Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah, has expressed concern over the escalating situation of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, in Ghana. He stated that the problem has spiralled beyond control and requires a united national response rather than political blame games. Mr. Braimah made these comments on JoyNews' Newsfile programme on Saturday, October 31.
According to Mr. Braimah, both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) have struggled with the problem of galamsey. He insisted that political parties must acknowledge the involvement of their own members and executives if Ghana is to make meaningful progress in tackling the issue. Mr. Braimah noted that the NDC, while in opposition, understood that tackling illegal mining would be far more difficult than it had suggested during its political campaign.
Mr. Braimah cited President John Dramani Mahama's acknowledgement that some NDC members were involved in illegal mining, just as members of the previous NPP administration had also been implicated. He emphasized that what is required at this stage is honesty and a sense of patriotism, urging the governing party to acknowledge the scale of the challenge and admit that political promises may have underestimated its complexity.
The MFWA Executive Director suggested that such an admission would create room for both the NDC and NPP to set aside partisan differences and work together against illegal mining. He proposed that if the NDC would come clean about the enormity of the problem and the challenges they faced, the NPP could also acknowledge its own limitations, allowing the two parties to confront the issue as a common enemy.
Mr. Braimah's comments come amid ongoing discussions on the government's efforts to tackle illegal mining and whether current interventions are producing sustainable results. The issue of galamsey has been a persistent challenge for Ghana, with various administrations struggling to effectively address the problem. The situation has led to environmental degradation, loss of livelihoods, and concerns about the impact on the country's economy.
The government's efforts to combat galamsey have included the establishment of the National Inter-Agency Task Force on Illegal Mining (NATIMOS), which has been conducting operations against illegal mining in various regions. However, critics argue that these efforts have not been effective in addressing the root causes of the problem or achieving sustainable results.
The situation with galamsey remains a pressing concern for Ghana, with many stakeholders calling for a more comprehensive and collaborative approach to address the issue. As the country continues to grapple with the challenges of illegal mining, there is a growing consensus that a united national response is required to effectively tackle the problem.
Key points
- Galamsey situation in Ghana has spiralled out of control, requiring a united national response.
- Both NPP and NDC have struggled with galamsey, and must acknowledge involvement of their members to make progress.
- A united approach between NPP and NDC could help tackle galamsey as a common enemy.
