A renowned mining consultant in the United States of America (USA), Dr. Solomon Kwabena Owusu, has urged NPP delegates to vote against Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia during the upcoming presidential primaries. He made this call during an interview on JoyNews’ ‘The Pulse’ program with Blessed Sogah on October 11.
In his view, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia-led administration has maltreated licensed small-scale miners and also failed woefully in their efforts to fight illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey in the country. According to him, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration has not shown any commitment to ending the galamsey menace, as he accused some top officials within the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) of engaging in illegal mining with some foreigners, particularly Chinese nationals.
Reacting to questions on whether the galamsey menace will end in the country, Dr. Solomon Owusu said that unless there is a paradigm shift in government to curtail the galamsey menace, the canker will still persist. He said the NPP ought to present a new candidate to address the galamsey menace because Dr. Bawumia is undeniably part of the galamsey menace in the country, adding that the people who are campaigning for Dr. Bawumia are the same people behind Aisha Huang and lots of Chinese illegal miners in the country. Hence, they know that delegates will vote against Dr. Bawumia if they discharge the galamsey queen before the National Delegates Conference of the NPP on November 4, 2023.
“I confidently tell you that if the mess ends in the country, then there should be a paradigm shift in government because the same DCEs, MCEs, Regional Ministers, and NPP party executives whose names Professor Frimpong Boateng mentioned are the same people trying to force Dr. Bawumia on Ghanaians. “I don’t know if you have realized that; I’m not trying to do politics here. If we can curb the mess, then we need a new face,” he stressed.
He contended that the NPP government must immediately apologize to Ghanaians for its failure to put an end to galamsey activities in the country. He said the NPP government is a scam, as they created the impression that they were going to end the galamsey,” he added. The so-called fight against Galamsey by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government is a scam and has been a lost battle from day one. This is because there has never been any genuine commitment or political will on the part of the President to combat the menace in the country.”
President Akufo-Addo has proven to be a leader who has specialized in talk without backing the same with deeds. Today, our beloved country stands at a crossroads of unprecedented economic mess and environmental degradation under President Akufo-Addo and Alhaji Bawumia,” he said.
He said the numerous approaches implemented by this current government have been fruitless because some government appointees are deep-necked in the galamsey activities. “Dr. Bawumia will continue the same mess with the same people following him, so delegates must vote against him.”
He reiterated that the NPP should present a new face like Kennedy Agyapong because he is determined to address mining problems in the country, but Dr. Bawumia will continue the same galamsey mess and the nation will still suffer. He urged the NPP grassroots and party faithful to rally behind Kennedy Agyapong and vote for him on November 4, 2023.
By Lawrence Odoom