Dr. Ing. Kenneth Ashigbey, Convenor of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, has called on the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to implement his policy plan to combat illegal mining, or ‘galamsey,’ ahead of the 2024 general elections.
He stressed that Ghanaians cannot afford to wait until after the elections for action to be taken on this critical issue.
Dr. Ashigbey warned of the severe consequences Ghana faces if illegal mining is not curbed, referencing recent water challenges in Cape Coast, Elmina, and nearby communities due to pollution from galamsey activities. Ghana Water Limited (GWL) reported that pollution has severely reduced water intake, with approximately 60% of the Sekyere Hemang Water Treatment Plant’s capacity silted due to galamsey, leading to a significant demand-supply gap.
In an interview with Selorm Adonoo on The Point of View on Channel One TV, Dr. Ashigbey urged politicians to address the galamsey crisis decisively. He criticized politicians involved in illegal mining, including companies like Akonta Mining and Heritage Imperial, which have avoided penalties despite numerous petitions.
He highlighted the extensive benefits politicians have reaped from mining at the expense of the public and warned that nature will start retaliating if the situation is not addressed. He emphasized that action should not be delayed until after the elections, insisting that policy implementation must begin immediately.
“When you have a situation, where the state, the leadership does not deal with its own who are involved in it. Or all the big men who imported all of these excavators, then this is where we are going to go. Where then nature will start hitting back at us because it will impose a drought on you.
“At a time when your irresponsibility because you are going into the next election is at its height. And then what you start seeing are these pockets of drought. Already you have a situation where, if you are not careful, your grains are failing.
“So we cannot wait to say that these manifestos that we have seen, we want to wait until after the election before we start implementing them. Whether it’s coming from the current vice President or the ex-president, so, the decision is now.”
Both major candidates have proposed strategies to tackle illegal mining. Former President John Mahama has promised to use Artificial Intelligence to combat the issue if re-elected, while Dr. Bawumia has pledged to support small-scale miners and introduce a new strategy to manage mining activities and preserve confiscated equipment, especially excavators, if elected.
