NDC imported foreigners to engage in galamsey - NPP Asokore MP alleges
Ghana - Member of Parliament for Effiduase N, Dr. Ayew Afriyie, has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of orchestrating the influx of foreign nationals engaged in illegal mining, or galamsey, in Ghana.
Speaking at the Bawumia Volunteers 2024 launch in Kumasi, Dr. Afriyie asserted that the NDC's actions are politically motivated, aiming to discredit the New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of the upcoming elections.
Dr. Afriyie emphasized that the NPP will not be pressured into banning galamsey, which could compromise the party's parliamentary seats in mining areas. He also clarified that the government has no immediate plans to impose such a ban.
The MP attributed Ghana's polluted water bodies to the NDC's alleged actions, stating that they were previously clean and pollution-free.
As chair of Parliament's Health Committee, Dr. Afriyie stressed the need for accountability regarding the environmental impact of galamsey.
"The NDC saw that we [NPP] were winning the seats in the mining areas, so they decided to go and import foreigners to engage in illegal mining on our water bodies. The whole water bodies have not been a problem until now, it just started one month ago. It is someone behind that to force the NPP government to stop galamsey so that we will lose the seats. We won’t stop them [Galamseyers] today or tomorrow."
"Then they take their journalists to talk about it. Is galamsey done in Accra? They should come to Kumasi to demonstrate against galamsey; like they will see," he said.
Source: Lead News Online
