The Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) has dismissed as a mere stunt, government’s supposed fight against illegal mining in the country, notoriously known as ‘galamsey.’
At a press conference in Accra Wednesday, the party’s national Chairman, Nana Ofori Owusu, said the motions by the government are just camouflaged to provide cover for government officials deeply involved in illegal mining.
He justifies his position by pointing out that officials of the Akufo-Addo government who have been exposed as being involved in galamsey have not been sanctioned.
“We have had reportage of government officials being part of this galamsey menace and we have not seen anybody in court over the matter.We saw many people being responsible for galamsey in the last administration. Different people, to the point that sometimes you wouldn’t even know who was responsible for the galamsey fight,” he said.
Earlier in the year, the government inaugurated a new taskforce, the Environmental Sustainability Taskforce Against Illegal Mining, to fight galamsey after an inter-ministerial committee against galamsey which had earlier been formed had failed to tame the menace.
In January, the leader of the new task force, Twum Ampofo Agyekum, revealed that powerful people within the corridors of power were deeply involved in the galamsey and that unless the government calls them to order, no task force will succeed in ending galamsey.
Chairman of the PPP, Mr. Owusu, pointed out to journalists that in addition to government people being involved in galamsey, the government’s supposed fight against the canker has only been a kneejerk, asking that a proper roadmap be assembled to guide the galamsey fight.
“We are seeing similar things now, we heard of Minister Samuel Abu Jinapor, then you will a statement from the Office of the President telling the Defense and Interior Minister to go and do some action when you do that citizens become confused as to who is leading in the fight against the galamsey menace. Is it the Presidency or the Minister that has been put there?”
“Right now, Government has not brought us a road map to say, this is phase one, this is phase two,” he stated.