Galamsey: Gold fuels greed, corruption – John Agyekum Kufuor

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has described the galamsey menace as “an enemy” to the country.

According to the former president, the value placed on gold as a natural resource component cannot be underestimated, emphasizing its human interest.

Mr. Agyekum Kufuor stated that gold influences humanity worldwide to do the unthinkable, which breeds greediness and corruption in the long run.

Speaking exclusively on the Angel Morning Show on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, he said “This illegal mining issue is a very serious matter, and we must understand that it has become an enemy to the country.

“So, what I learned about human lifestyle is that we take a deep concern about how to address these problems.

“Globally, if you take a look at gold, it has become like gods in Africa, Asia, Austria, and America so it is not only in Ghana. Wherever people discover these natural resources, then greediness sets in – mankind can even go the extra mile to commit murder just to possess it and that is the power of gold which controls the mind of mankind. And that is what I’m interpreting for you to understand it vividly.”

The former statesman further told Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah “Therefore, when gold mining issues pop up like this in your country and you don’t tackle it with some level of humour and rather the radical way of burning mining equipment’s and deployment of the military to beat the offenders, you will end up shedding blood however it will not yield any positive results in the end.

He advocated for a review of the mining laws in the country to ensure that gold extraction is done in the proper way to end the issue of illegal mining which is occasioned by the destruction of water bodies and forest reserves.

John Agyekum Kufuor, Ghana’s first president of the Fourth Republic concluded and called on Ghanaians to come together and channel their energy into finding a lasting solution to end the practice rather than politicizing.