A former General Secretary of the Christian Council, Rev. Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, has urged politicians to be cautious with their public remarks on illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
According to him, some of their statements appear to justify the harmful practice.
He criticised the contradictory comments from some government officials, warning that they could be perceived as disregarding the public’s concerns.
“Some of our Ministers of State must be a bit mindful of their statements. Some of their statements are hurting and are very contradictory. If I hear a minister saying if not for mining, the dollar would have been GH¢25 … the more some of them talk like this in public, it suggests that they are taking us for granted. In fact, some are even saying as for mining we won’t stop,” he said.
His comments followed a statement by Sulemanu Koney, CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, who argued that the mining sector plays a crucial role in stabilising the local currency, suggesting that without it, the cedi could have depreciated further, possibly to ¢25 to $1.
This view aligns with other political figures, including NPP MP Dr Ayew Afriyie, who recently stated that the government has no plans to ban galamsey, despite the mounting pressure from environmental groups and the public.
In light of this, Rev. Opuni-Frimpong urged the public not to ease up on their protest.
He stressed the importance of maintaining pressure on the government to address the issue, stating that the harmful effects of galamsey on the environment must not be overlooked.
He also called on the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) to continue its advocacy efforts, emphasizing the need for collective action to make the government take the concerns seriously.
“We must not give an inch; we must all go out to let the government know that we are serious. They are hurting us,” he declared.
Source: Emma Ankrah
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