An independent parliamentary candidate for the Nkoranza Constituency in the 2024 elections, Charles Owusu, has called on the government to depoliticize the fight against illegal mining (galamsey) and adopt practical solutions to address the issue.
Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Owusu urged the government to reconsider its stance on halting the issuance of mining licenses, particularly for small-scale miners operating in forest reserves.
“The problem is the politicization of things in this country—that is why we are suffering. Offering mining licenses is the right step; it’s not illegal. The fight against illegal mining is simple, but the politicization is too much,” he stated.
Mr. Owusu advocated for granting more licenses to local miners while ensuring strict regulation, arguing that local miners would reinvest their revenue into the country, unlike some foreign miners who repatriate their profits.
He also urged the Minister-designate for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, to conduct a comprehensive audit of forest reserves and hold broad stakeholder dialogues with miners to address both illegal mining and logging.
“The Minister should ‘walk the talk’ with practical solutions that benefit all parties. The country needs to move forward, not backward. With the right consultations and oversight, I believe Ghana can effectively fight galamsey,” he added.
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