 should transcend partisan politics.){kind=link}
An aide to former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has said the fight against illegal mining (galamsey) should transcend partisan politics.
According to Dennis Miracles Aboagye, galamsey is beyond the NPP and the NDC.
Miracles Aboagye called on the Mahama government to step up its fight against illegal mining.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr Aboagye stated, “As at 11:00 am this morning, our drones captured galamseyers in the Pra River mining. I have tagged the minister for government communication in the video so that he will see the damage in the Pra River”.
“All we are asking is for us to at least see the government make an effort, so we can all join in the fight. But if the government is still denying the presence of even the menace, then we are in trouble,” he warned.
He added, “This, for me, is even beyond NPP and NDC”.
Also, Dennis Miracles Aboagye has said he does not support a State of Emergency.
According to Miracles Aboagye, a state of emergency would not necessarily end the menace.
Miracles Aboagye highlighted that the government should rather invest in social mindset reorientation in the fight against galamsey, where the real solutions lie.
Miracles Aboagye added, “Again, I keep saying politics is what is causing the problem for us in the fight against galamsey. I have never supported the call for a state of emergency. I didn’t support it when we were in government, and I don’t support it even now because I don’t think that is the solution”.
“I never supported the ban on small-scale mining… I didn’t support it then, and I won’t support it now, and my reason is simple. We implemented the ban on small-scale mining for two years; it worked, and we saw the water bodies clearing up. Then, when we lifted it, despite all the initiatives the government put in place, we still saw galamsey come back. We can’t go and implement a ban when it has already been done before,” he explained.
Miracles Aboagye added that community involvement is needed rather than drastic political measures.
He added, “Neither do I think a state of emergency may necessarily stop the situation. I think that in addition to all the law enforcement that the government is doing now, which all other governments have been doing, they should simply move in and invest in social mindset reorientation.
“What I saw with my eyes and what I have seen with my eyes today in Dunkwa Offin and Twifo Praso—if we can expose the community to the dire effect and draw their attention to how this thing is destroying their lives, in addition to enforcement, they would help to be able to succeed at it,” Miracles Aboagye added.
Meanwhile, the Fix The Country Movement has demanded that the John Mahama-led government declare a State of Emergency on galamsey and repeal Legislative Instrument (LI) 2462.
According to the movement, the Galamsey menace needs to be tackled head-on.
Speaking on Channel One, Edward Tuttor, a member of the movement, stated, “Galamsey needs to be tackled head-on. We don’t need to massage the issues. We don’t need to pretend as if we don’t know what is going on”.
“I was happy when the president… admitted publicly that galamsey is now a national emergency. If it is a national emergency, we are saying that the president should declare a state of emergency,” he insisted.
Edward Tuttor added, “The problem of galamsey is a clear-cut problem and the solution is clear-cut: repeal LI 2462 and declare a state of emergency”.