In light of calls to cease all mining activities due to their detrimental impact on water bodies, MC Yaa Yeboah has asserted that these activities are a key factor in holding the country’s economy down and protecting the currency.
Viewing it as a necessary evil, she criticised the government for failing to implement the right structures to prevent mining processes from disrupting the environment, particularly water bodies.
“We acknowledge that we have been mining for a long period and I can say that the mining and selling these products is what is holding our economy down. Mining protects our currency; it helps us import all that we need. So, the mining has an advantage.
“The current government has had so many years not to be able to put proper regulations in place for these mining communities. Per my findings, the pollution of our water bodies is a result of the washing of the sand bearing the gold, why didn't the government do anything about this?” The entertainment pundit stated during United Showbiz.
She questioned whether the government wasn't aware that this mining crisis could eventually be used against them politically, urging them to have acted more responsibly.
“Did this party not realise that this would become a political point for the opposition? They’ve sat idle for years without putting proper systems in place to address this situation,” she fumed.
Commenting on the recent protests, Yaa Yeboah added, “It's our right to demonstrate but the problem is not the fact that people went out to demonstrate. The problem is that there was an arrest and the police said some of the people who went out to demonstrate got themself involved in unlawful acts.”
Meanwhile, Ghanaians are outraged by the destruction of water bodies due to galamsey and have urged the government to take decisive action.
Religious leaders, political figures, and state institutions have expressed concern over the menace.
The issue has also garnered international attention, with foreign media throwing a spotlight on it.
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