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Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, the minority leader of Parliament, has said allowing illegal mining (galamsey) to continue means we are complicit in selling tomorrow for today’s greed.
Afenyo-Markin noted that the destructive practice of illegal mining is destroying. Ghana’s future.
The minority leader charged Ghanaian youths to take charge in the fight against illegal mining, as the destructive practice is stealing their future, farmland, and poisoning the water bodies.
Delivering a keynote address at the Young Commons Forum Summit held at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Afenyo-Markin stated, “As we dream together, let us also confront the dangers that threaten our future. None is more urgent than the menace of illegal mining, otherwise known as galamsey.
This destructive practice is stealing your future. It is robbing farmers of fertile soil, poisoning the water of our children and destroying the environment you and I must inherit,” he declared.
He further added, “If we allow galamsey to continue unchecked, then we are complicit in selling tomorrow for today’s greed. I therefore challenge you, the youth, to be at the forefront of this fight to speak up, protect our rivers and insist on sustainable ways of harnessing Ghana’s natural resources”.
“Enough of the political rhetoric and games. The situation is real and the consequences are dire,” he added.
“If Ghana is to rise, it will not be because of one President, the Parliament or one policy. It will be because young people choose to rise to the occasion. It will be because you decide to serve a cause greater than yourselves. A degree or a job title is admirable, but character and integrity and service are what truly build a nation”, Afenyo-Makrin highlighted.
Meanwhile, a Fetish Priest protecting illegal miners (galamseyers) at a galamsey site has bolted following the Western Regional Anti-Galamsey Task Force storming the area.
The Anti-Galamsey Task Force discovered a shrine within a makeshift structure at the banks of the River Ankobra.
According to reports, the room is used for purification rituals.
One Sheep, One Goat, Six Fowls, One Guinea Fowl, 3,000 cedis worth of cowries and an additional cash payment of GHC 300.00 were found at the makeshift structure.
Two sheep and one fowl were also found near the shrine, tied, likely awaiting sacrifice.
Also, the Western Naval Command discovered a shrine dedicated to Maame Wata, known locally as Togbe Nana Benin.
The fetish priest, upon noticing the anti-galamsey team bolted without attempting to use his spiritual powers, which he claimed to possess.
A naval officer at the scene stated, “This room is designated for the mallam or juju man. You’ve escaped, yet you’re supposed to wait and meet with us. We don’t have time for this; we only answer to God. You’re running away? Next time, we expect to see you with the juju.”
“This is where they consult the gods—their operating bed, so to speak. That’s the Maame Wata shrine. They believe that by doing this, they’ll be granted more gold, but in reality, they’re destroying our water bodies. We won’t forgive them; we’ll destroy everything.
“Wherever their gods reside, we’re ready to confront them. We’ve encountered various rituals white sheep, white fowls, and other things but we won’t back down. We’ll take them down and move forward,” the naval officer stated.