The fight against ‘galamsey’ must be devoid of politics – Kennedy Osei Nyarko

Mr Kennedy Osei Nyarko, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Member of Parliament for Akim Swedru Constituency in the Eastern Region, says the fight against illegal mining popularly known as “galamsey” should be depoliticized.

The menace according to him, affects all and thus a collective effort is needed to tackle it.

This appeal comes on the back of accusation by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the government has failed to deal with illegal mining; a situation that is adversely affecting the country.

He said all hands must be on deck to end galamsey.

According to him, politicising galamsey has accounted for Ghana’s long-lasting defeat against the canker.

He stressed on the efforts of the government aimed at defeating galamsey.

“Fighting the Galamsey menace which has become political today is not about the use of brut force or suspension of mining operations or licenses. The illegal miners don’t need a license to operate. They mine indiscriminately day and night.

Asking the president to use brut force and also suspend all mining operations is not going to address the canker we are confronted with today.

The president can speak today and give directives for the suspension of all mining licences or operations it will not deter this illegal miners to stop with their destruction of lands and water bodies. We have to do as a country is immediately adopt the citizen policing approach to empower the local citizens to prevent and and seize mining operations in the forest and on the water bodies.

This approach has worked effectively in some communities and we can replicate same by empowering the local citizens stop people from this activities.

Unless we are not looking for a solution but just for political interest then I will have no qualms with those demonstrating in Accra and putting pressure on the president to give orders.

We have as a country since 2010 used brut force to deal with this social canker and have spent millions of cedis in this operations yet it has rather escalated the situation.

This literally means that the solution to this problem is not through brut force but rather through citizen participation. Dealing with an illegal industry with about 5 million people involved cannot be addressed through brut force or suspension of every mining operation.

The illegal miners will even be happy to see the Government suspend every mining operations because that’s when they will have a field day to even engage in the operations the more,”Mr Kennedy Osei Nyarko wrote on his official Facebook wall.

The lawmaker has urged appropriate constitutional bodies and security agencies to work hand-in-hand to fight galamsey.