The NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante Akim South, has revealed that the reluctance by the Nana Akufo Addo – Bawumia led government in banning illegal mining (Galamsey), is because the party is not ready to lose more parliamentary seats in mining areas.
Speaking to journalists yesterday, Wednesday, Hon. Kwaku Asante-Boateng expressed that the fight against ‘galamsey’ in 2020 led to the party losing almost all their seats in mining constituencies.
He believes that the 2024 election at hand is what the party is interested in protecting. He justified his comment by noting that the any party in power can be affected by losing the elections if they so ban ‘galamsey at this time.
He said “We did it as a party and as a government before the 2020 elections. And if you can recount, all our seats in the mining communities that we were trying to control, we lost all the seats, the parliamentary seats there. So do you think for the second time, if we say we want to break the 8 and people are crying for that ban, the current government will have the guts or will find it necessary to put a ban on it”?
“The fear of losing power [is what is delaying the ban] and that fear can happen to any party at all” he added.
Hon. Asante-Boateng urged the president find ways to minimize and regulate the canker destroying water bodies, farmlands and forest reserves.
However, same comments has being made by leading members of the NPP party, but was subsequently refuted and labeled as being doctored or misrepresented, these including a recent one from Dr. Ayew Afiriyie, MP for Effiduase-Asokore and the Chairman of Parliament’s Health Committee.
Members of the Ghana Medical Association, Civil Society, Ghana Water Company Limited, Chiefs, and members of the opposition have all called on the government to ban the activities of illegal mining.