Vice-Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has called out NDC Flagbearer, former President John Dramani Mahama to desist from playing politics with the issue of illegal mining popularly known in Ghanaian parlance as ‘galamsey’.
According to Dr. Prempeh, the former Ghanaian leader’s utterances on the matter past and present, smack of an individual seeking to profit from the menace politically, without putting the interest of the country at the front burner.
Dr. Prempeh made this call when he addressed the 13th Biennial Conference and 40th Anniversary of the Association of Methodist Men’s Fellowships as Guest of Honour on Saturday, 14th September 2024 at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
Dr. Prempeh questions whether the former President is truly committed to combating illegal mining, given past incidents and statements. In 2020, prominent figures from the NDC were filmed encouraging illegal miners to persist in their activities and to vote for the NDC as protection for their operations.
According to Dr. Prempeh, this led to the NPP losing many parliamentary seats in mining communities, as voters viewed the NDC as an ally and the NPP as an adversary. The NPP sacrificed those seats because it prioritized the interests of Ghana.
Dr. Prempeh also cited John Mahama’s promise to grant amnesty to all ‘galamsey’ miners imprisoned under the Akufo-Addo-led government if he won the election. Speaking at Odum Banso in the Mpohor Constituency in the Western Region on October 22, 2020, Mr. Mahama questioned the incarceration of Ghanaians for mining offenses.
However, in a sudden U-turn, the NDC Flagbearer is threatening to arrest and jail all miners engaged in illegal mining, commonly known as ‘galamsey,’ should he win the 2024 presidential election because there is a public outcry blaming the NPP government.
“These plain inconsistencies by John Mahama on the subject matter of ‘galamsey’ for me, make it difficult to trust John Mahama on the subject. Rather, they are thwarting the NPP government’s efforts at fighting the canker” Dr. Prempeh said.
He further chided John Mahama for being a statesman by putting Ghana first and desisting from playing petty politics with a serious matter that has far-reaching debilitating consequences on the Ghanaian people.
The NPP’s Vice-Presidential Candidate emphasized that his primary goal has always been to manage Ghana’s mineral resources responsibly, ensuring that the benefits reach the people, stimulate economic growth, and preserve the environment.
“Dr. Bawumia’s bold solutions to the challenges will include formalizing, regularizing, and regulating environmentally sustainable small-scale mining. These efforts will ultimately promote more responsible mining practices while helping small-scale mining companies expand into larger enterprises through capacity building and access to financing for equipment acquisition,” he said.
He continued “I can assure you that, the next NPP government under Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, will establish, in collaboration with the private sector, a Minerals Development Bank to support the mining industry. We will also set up a Pension Scheme for small-scale miners like we have done for cocoa farmers. We have the credibility when we say we are going to do this because we have done it before”
Dr. Prempeh asked the Clergy to condemn every utterance from politicians that seek to compromise the Ghanaian interest for their selfish political agendas.
He then challenged the opposition National Democratic Congress to show real commitment to the fight against illegal mining or ‘galamsey’ by signing a national binding document with the NPP.
This document, according to Dr. Prempeh is expected to hold all parties accountable and obligate them to campaign against illegal mining while promoting responsible mining practices that protect water bodies and forests across all campaign platforms.
