Member of Parliament for Effutu and Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has raised concerns about what he terms the growing politicisation of efforts to combat illegal gold mining, popularly known as galamsey.
According to him, part of the problem stems from political rhetoric during the 2020 general elections, suggesting that campaign messages from the then-opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) influenced the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) performance in several mining communities.
His remarks come as stakeholders renew calls for collective and decisive measures to tackle illegal mining nationwide.
Speaking at a seminar organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) on Ghana’s natural resource management regime on Tuesday, October 7, Mr. Afenyo-Markin underscored the importance of collaboration and a shift in national mindset toward protecting the country’s natural resources.
“During the 2020 campaign, the message was that they [NPP] came to take your food away, so vote against them. And the debate kept going to where we are. If we do the blame game thing, we will not get anywhere,” he said.
The Minority Leader emphasised that the galamsey menace transcends partisan politics and requires a united national front.
“I think it goes beyond the NPP, NDC arguments. I think as a nation, we need a whole national orientation.
“Frankly speaking, I think we all failed our nation. We have to let the authorities know that we have no other alternatives; this must stop,” he stated.
Source : Adomonline