Galamsey Menace: Oppong Nkrumah’s 2016 comments on Cote d'Ivoire's illegal mines shutdown re-emerges

Some old comments made by Minister of Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, regarding Cote d'Ivoire's decision to shut down 280 illegal mining sites in 2016 have resurfaced online.

Oppong Nkrumah's past tweet, which praised Ivory Coast's efforts as a significant step in combating illegal mining (galamsey), has re-emerged amid ongoing discussions about tackling the galamsey menace in Ghana permanently.

A post shared by Accra-based media outlet, JoyNews, captioned "Flashback Friday: 'In Ghana it's Galamsey galore. Governments can act if they really want to.' - @konkrumah's reaction to @TheEconomist's tweet regarding the Ivorian government's shut down of more than 280 illegal mines in 2016," seeks to highlight the New Patriotic Party's perceived inability to address the rise of illegal mining in Ghana.

In recent weeks, there have been numerous protests against the galamsey menace.

While some Ghanaians are calling for an end to the issue by shutting down illegal mining sites, some members of the ruling government argue that such an initiative is not the best approach to dealing with this.

The resurfacing of this tweet has sparked a renewed debate on social media, with many Ghanaians calling for more decisive actions from the government to combat the galamsey menace.

See the post below:

Flashback Friday: "In Ghana it's Galamsey galore. Governments can act if they really want to." - @konkrumah's reaction to @TheEconomist 's tweet regarding the Ivorian government's shut down of more than 280 illegal mines in 2016.#FlashbackFriday || #StopGalamseyNow pic.twitter.com/kpoLIDsY4v

— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) October 4, 2024