Mr. Eric Kwabena Yeboah, commonly referred to as Sir Newton, a member of the communication team for the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), has expressed his belief that the battle against illegal mining in the country cannot be successful if partisan politics continues to influence efforts against this issue.
During his appearance on the GIFTS FM Morning Show, Sir Newton voiced his concerns about the country’s inability to combat illegal mining using state security and resources. He highlighted that numerous members of the current government are allegedly involved in illegal mining activities, which complicates efforts to address the problem effectively. He noted that the previous NPP administration implemented numerous interventions to safeguard forests and water bodies from illegal mining activities, yet these did not produce the desired results. Similarly, the measures introduced by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have also failed to yield significant outcomes.
Sir Newton, therefore, urged Ghanaians to refrain from politicizing the fight against illegal mining, commonly known as Galamsey, stressing that achieving success in this endeavor will not be possible until partisan politics is eliminated from the equation.
Mr. Eric Kwabena Yeboah expressed concern regarding the politicization of the fight against illegal mining, known as Galamsey, during the lead-up to the 2020 general elections. At that time, then-President Akufo Addo had initiated stringent measures to combat this issue. However, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) seized the opportunity to campaign vigorously against the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in mining-prone areas. This political maneuvering resulted in the NPP’s reluctance to continue the fight, fearing it might jeopardize their chances in the 2020 elections.
Furthermore, Mr. Yeboah stated that the NDC now lacks the moral authority to address illegal mining due to their political opposition to the NPP’s efforts during the lead-up to the 2020 general elections.
Story By: Kwaku Mensah Abrampa (GIFTS FM)
