Ellen Ama Daaku, a communications officer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has mocked the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.
The NPP communicator labelled Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah as a crybaby who held a press conference and cried to Ghanaians.
Speaking on the Despite Media Peace FM, Ellen Darko stated, “This week, I have heard that the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources cry cry minister, Minister Buah, says he needs 10 billion dollars. He needs 120 billion cedis before he can fight galamsey.
Cry, Cry minister, if you need 100 billion, 200 billion, as Ghanaians, we do not care”.
When asked why she keeps referring to the minister as Cry Minister, she stated. “Didn’t he come crying? Did he call a press conference and cry? A minister who calls for a press conference and cries, is this what they use in fighting galamsey?”.
She further added, “This is their fight, I am not interested. They claimed they can do it, so they should fight it”.
Her comments come following Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, who has revealed the staggering potential financial scope of the anti-galamsey effort.
According to the Lands Minister, a comprehensive fight against illegal mining could cost the nation an estimated $10 billion.
The Lands minister is quoted by 3 news to have said, “The fight against galmsey could cost $10 billion”.
Also, Nana Baffour Awuah, the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, has said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is fixated on the figure $10 billion.
According to the Manhyia South MP, the NDC keeps repeating the $10 billion for all major projects.
Nana Baffour Awuah highlighted that the Lands minister, rather than being fixated on figures, should direct their attention toward ensuring responsible mining to maximise the country’s economic gains from the extractive sector.
Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show on Tuesday, October 14, Baffour Awuah stated, “To begin, how did they arrive at that figure? It appears that the NDC seems to be very fixated on the figure 10 billion”.
“Anytime they quote a figure for a project in this country, they are looking for 10 billion dollars — Hope City, 10 billion dollars; Big Push, 10 billion dollars; and now they want 10 billion dollars to fix galamsey.”
He explained, “I am of the view that all we need is to ensure that there is responsible mining and we are getting the economic benefit that we should get from mining”.
“The NDC clearly and obviously has been contradictory, has been inconsistent, and it was all aimed at getting political power. That is all that the picture seems now, and it is obvious,” he added.
Meanwhile, the National Coalition on Mining has boldly told the John Mahama government point-blank that the military and police cannot stop the illegal mining menace (galamsey) facing the country.
According to the National Coalition on Mining, if the military under former Presidents Kufuour, John Mahama and Akufo-Addo could stop galamsey, Ghana would not be having this conversation today.
They urged the government to adopt a more strategic and sustainable approach if it truly wants to end galamsey.
Speaking in an interview, a member of the Coalition, Emmanuel Ellimah, on Sunday, October 19, recounted past military intervention, saying, “Under former President Kufuor, we had Operation Flashout. During President Mahama’s first term, there was Operation Cowleg. Under President Akufo-Addo, we’ve had Operation Vanguard, Operation Halt One, and Operation Halt Two”.
“If the military could stop galamsey, we wouldn’t still be having this conversation. That’s why we are calling for a shift in the measures being applied to tackle this problem,” he added.
He called for community involvement, regulation of small-scale mining, and enforcement of environmental standards.
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