The National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has accused the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government of killing small-scale miners in the country.
Speaking during a panel discussion on Metro TV’s "Good Morning Ghana" on Thursday, October 24, 2024, while defending some claims he made about the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government’s fight against illegal small-scale mining (galamsey), he alleged that the government had killed some illegal miners and left members of its party who are engaged in illegal mining.
He went on to name some leading members of the NPP, including the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the party, Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), and the Mayor of Kumasi, Sam Pyne, whom he said were involved in galamsey and deserve to be shot.
“He (Egyapa) says that I use derogatory language when I said they came to steal, to kill, and destroy. Okay, the excavators. Didn’t you steal them? You’ve stolen the excavators. So when I say you came to steal, it is true. They seize gold; you’ve stolen it. The pickups you seize from the miners, you’ve stolen them. So when I say you came to steal, at least I’ve justified the stealing.
“You came to kill, Kwabenya; didn’t you kill miners? Western Region, Shama; didn’t you kill miners? So if I say you came to kill, I’ve justified it. Some of these miners were legal. So small-scale miners, not illegal miners like Chairman Wontumi, not illegal miners like Sam Pyne, ought to be shot and killed, not legal small-scale miners who were shot and killed during the time that their fraudulent ban was enforced. They came to destroy," he said.
He added, “At the time they stopped everybody. At the time Akufo-Addo banned all forms of small-scale mining, legal or illegal, responsible or irresponsible. So, some of the people who were shot and killed, whose excavators were burned and all that, were legal, responsible miners. That’s the point I’m making.”
The NDC communication officer also indicated that it does not make sense to compare the fight against galamsey.
He asserted that it is clear that the Akufo-Addo government has failed in the fight against galamsey because of the level of destruction caused by the menace.
“There is no basis for equalisation. If you want to know that there is no basis for equalisation and this cannot be reduced to NDC or NPP, check the drone shots of that drone pilot, Edem Strem, of the River Ankobra, 2016 versus 2018.
“The River Ankobra was crystal clear under Mahama; today it looks like coffee. It is the same for the Pra. It is the same for the Birim. Please stop this cheap equalisation. Do politics of reason, politics of conscience, politics of principles.”
The Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, who was the co-panellist on the programme, said that he never meant to equalise but to point out the hypocrisy of Sam Gyamfi and members of the NDC on the fight against galamsey.
Watch Sammy Gyamfi’s remarks in the video: (2:15:00):
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