Lack of political will to fight galamsey disappointing, disturbing — Nene Sakite II

Nene Sakite II, Konor of the Manya Krobo Traditional Area and President of the Eastern Region House of Chiefs, has added his voice to calls to fight illegal mining, commonly known as 'galamsey' in the country.

He said the lack of political will to tackle the menace holistically was disappointing and disturbing.

Nene Sakite, who made the remark in an address to mark the 2024 Gbidukorza of the people of Gbi Dzigbe (Hohoe) and Gbi Nyigbe (Peki), said one might think that the galamsey phenomenon was quite distant from them because it was not happening in the Volta Region.

However, the health implications and adverse impact on the country's water bodies knew no boundaries; consequently, the call on all citizens to add their voices to efforts being made to draw public and national attention to the phenomenon.

Nene Sakite called on the government to properly regulate the practice and make the approach to extracting minerals more sustainable and responsible.

He said another concern was the seeming overconcentration of efforts on second-cycle education at the expense of basic education.

Nene Sakite commended the government for brilliant initiatives such as Free Senior High School, which had tremendously expanded access to secondary education, and the unwavering commitment to revolutionizing the country's education sector, with a primary focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education.

He urged the government to give more attention to the deplorable state of basic schools, particularly those in rural settings.

"Our basic schools are critical; they are the foundation upon which secondary and tertiary education are built. Without a solid base or foundation from the basic schools, the better future we are seeking to create will be difficult to actualize."

Nene Sakite also said partisan national elections were inherently divisive because of the differences in opinion, ideas, and policies, and more so when the processes were not well managed.

"Let us not yield to the manipulations of the politicians to the detriment of our collective interest."

The celebration was on the theme: "Election 2024: The Role of Gbidukor in Ensuring a Peaceful Election for National Development."

Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng, the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, on behalf of the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, said there were several challenges being faced, especially "during the crucial time as the nation heads to the polls on December 7."

He called on citizens to be more resolute and called on traditional rulers to work with stakeholders to maintain the country's peace before, during, and after the elections.

He said elections were a period to make citizens' opinions known and to choose leaders, hence the need to foster and maintain peace at all times.

He said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) introduced and implemented sustainable economic and environmental policies that benefited everybody.

Mr. Asamoah Boateng said the NPP had laid a solid foundation in education, educating the youth through the implementation of various policies.