The Member of Parliament for Effiduase-Asokore, Dr Nana Ayew Afriye, has expressed concern about the excessive politicisation of the fight against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
He believes that the politicisation of the galamsey fight is taking on a tribal dimension that could lead to serious issues in the country if not addressed carefully.
Dr. Afriye shared that individuals from Akan-dominated areas are suggesting that those advocating for an end to galamsey, an activity they have been involved in since before Ghana's formation, are doing so out of dislike for Akans.
In an interview with Hello FM shared on YouTube on October 12, 2024, Dr. Afriye recounted a conversation he had with an Akan man, whose sentiments echoed those of many others.
“The man told me that ‘Okudzeto went to do a press conference, look at the water he showed, is he an Akan’. And I pleaded with the man and told him that we must excrete tribalism from this discussion.
“If we are not careful with how this galamsey issue is being handled and if we don’t educate people, we would let some people living in Accra, who are saying all manner of things, land the country in trouble,” he said in Twi.
He repeatedly cautioned that if the galamsey issue is not handled carefully and with the needed sensitisation, individuals in the capital Accra, making inflammatory remarks, could put the country in jeopardy.
Dr. Ayew Afriye, who is also Chairperson of the Health Committee of Parliament, highlighted that the man questioned why fishing was not prohibited in the Volta Region when fishermen in the area were using DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) for fishing.
He added, “The man also said that ‘if you go to the Volta Region, when they were putting DDT, which is poisonous, in the water bodies to fish and the Ghana Water Company was processing these waters for drinking with the Minerals Commission declaring in 2020 that the Volta Lake was dead, why didn’t they ban fishing for us to see what the chiefs would do’.”
Watch his remarks in the video below:
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