Asante Akim South MP attributes govt’s hesitation on galamsey ban to fear of losing elections
Kwaku Asante-Boateng, MP for Asante Akim South, has voiced concerns that the government’s reluctance to fully tackle illegal mining, or galamsey, is fueled by fears of losing votes in the upcoming December 7 elections.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Asante-Boateng explained that the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) firm stance against galamsey in 2020 contributed to the party’s defeat in several mining communities. He suggested that this experience has made the government cautious about imposing a total ban on mining, fearing it could alienate voters in affected regions.
“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.”
“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 ban it?”
He emphasized that the concern over losing political support is common across parties, particularly in areas where mining plays a significant role.
“The fear of losing power [is delaying the ban] and that fear can happen to any party at all”, the Asante Akim South MP stated.
