Galamsey Fight Is A Spectacular Failure—NDC

“The fact that, President Akufo Addo’s fight against galamsey has failed is no longer in dispute. The spectacular failure, of the supposedly anti galamsey fight, underscores what we all know to be the truth that President Akufo-Addo’s policies and offerings most at times are instituted of self-aggrandizement and an avenue for crocked members of his party and government to line their pockets through corrupt means.”

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) says government’s fight against illegal mining popularly known as 'galamsey' has been laughable.

At its fourth moment of truth series, the NDC’s Communications Director, Sammy Gyamfi attributed the failure to the President’s inability to bring to book appointees of government allegedly noted for fueling the activities of illegal mining.

He called for an overhaul of the Interministerial Committee on mining together with government’s approach to the fight.

“In the circumstance, the NDC demands that President Akufo-Addo overhauls the interministerial committee on illegal mining and urgently review his approach towards the fight against illegal mining. This is time for President to rise above his sweet and hollow rhetoric and start to walk the talk. He must show genuine commitment and dedication to the fight against illegal mining. We charge him, as a matter of urgency, to weed out and bring to book all corrupt officials starting from Charles Owusu Bissue who has undermine our collective fight illegal mining.”

The Inter-Ministerial Committee on illegal mining was set up to oversee the implementation of the ban on all forms of small scale mining and also see to the vetting of small scale miners.

It was commissioned in March 2017 by President Akufo-Addo to reform artisanal and small-scale mining in the country.

It was also aimed at developing a roadmap towards lifting an indefinite ban on small scale mining that lasted for about 21 months.

The team was also supposed to vet registered small scale miners in the country to streamline their operations and make recommendations to the President to lift the ban on illegal mining.

But in all of these, the secretariat has also been hit by alleged bribery and corruption in Anas Aremeyaw Anas' exposé on illegal mining.