Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has lamented the excessive politicisation of Ghana’s fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, saying it has undermined national efforts to curb the menace.
Speaking at a seminar organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) on Ghana’s natural resource management framework on Tuesday, October 7, Mr. Afenyo-Markin said political rhetoric during the 2020 general elections contributed significantly to the problem.
According to him, campaign messages from the then-opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) framed the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government’s anti-galamsey measures as an attack on livelihoods, costing the ruling party support in mining communities.
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“During the 2020 campaign, the narrative was that the NPP had taken away people’s livelihoods — their food. That message spread widely and influenced voting patterns in those communities. But if we keep playing the blame game, we will not make progress,” he observed.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin emphasised that the galamsey crisis goes beyond partisan boundaries and called for a united national effort to protect Ghana’s natural resources.
“I believe this issue is not about NPP or NDC. It demands a collective national response and a reorientation of our mindset,” he stated.
Admitting that successive governments and leaders share responsibility for the current environmental degradation, he added:
“Frankly, we all failed our nation. It’s time to make it clear to the authorities and ourselves that this cannot continue. We have no other alternative but to stop this destruction.”
Story By: Afia Ohenewaa Akyerem