A serious allegation has been made against the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) by Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie, the Member of Parliament for Effiduase Asokere Constituency and the Middle Belt Campaign Coordinator for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
Dr. Afriyie claims that the NDC has enlisted foreign individuals to partake in illegal mining activities within Ghana’s water bodies, intentionally contaminating them for political advantage. During a campaign rally, he stated,
The government has made considerable progress in apprehending foreign nationals who have allegedly been brought in by the NDC to pollute our water resources. These actions are not merely politically motivated; they are designed to tarnish the government’s reputation in mining regions.
He further asserted that the NDC has resorted to this tactic of deploying foreigners to engage in illegal mining and pollute water bodies to discredit the Akufo-Addo administration just two months before the general elections.
Dr. Afriyie cautioned that suspending community mining operations could result in the ruling party losing parliamentary seats in the affected areas. He stressed that the NPP’s initiatives to rehabilitate the mining sector might be misconstrued by local populations, potentially leading to electoral setbacks.
The issue of illegal mining, commonly referred to as “galamsey,” continues to be a divisive topic in Ghana. The government has adopted a firm approach to combat these activities due to their detrimental impact on the environment.
The NPP’s attempts to regulate mining and safeguard the environment may be perceived by some as detrimental to development.
