We will lose our seats in mining communities if we ban galamsey - NPP MP

Oct 3, 2024 - 12:08

Member of Parliament for Asante Akim South,Kwaku Asante-Boateng, has voiced concerns that the government's hesitation to address illegal mining, or galamsey, stems from fears of losing the upcoming December 7 elections

Ghana - Member of Parliament for Asante Akim South,Kwaku Asante-Boateng, has voiced concerns that the government's hesitation to address illegal mining, or galamsey, stems from fears of losing the upcoming December 7 elections.

According to him, the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) strong anti-galamsey stance in 2020 led to the party's defeat in several mining communities.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, Asante-Boateng suggested that this fear of electoral backlash is driving the government's caution, a sentiment he believes could impact any political party.

He noted that the fear of losing votes is a common concern in politics, particularly in regions where galamsey is prevalent.

“We did it as a party and as a government before the 2020 elections. And if you can recount, all our seats in the mining communities that we were trying to control, we lost all the seats, the parliamentary seats there,'' he stated.

“So do you think for the second time, if we say we want to break the 8 and people are crying for that ban, the current government will have the guts or will find it necessary to put a ban on it?''

“The fear of losing power [is delaying the ban] and that fear can happen to any party at all,'' he added.

This development comes amidst allegations that some NPP bigwigs have engaged Chinese nationals to engage in galamsey on their behalf.

A recent report revealed that certain MPs and government officials are either directly involved in galamsey or using their power to protect relatives involved in the practice.

Source: Lead News Online