Dr Ayew Afriyie drew a clear distinction between small-scale mining and galamsey – Miners

The Member of Parliament for Effiduase Asokore and the middle belt campaign coordinator for the governing NPP, Dr Ayew Afriyie has been a subject of public discourse recently.

A comment he made on illegal mining also known as ‘galamsey’ on September 27, during the launch of “Bawumia 2024 Campaign Volunteers” has generated intense public assessment on whether the government is committed to the fight against illegal mining.

“They are in Accra deliberately confusing those engaged in mining in water bodies and small-scale mining. The NDC has brought people from Togo and Burkina Faso to do illegal mining, but we are not going after them. They realised we were winning the seats, so they decided to go and import foreigners and they advised them to mine in our rivers.

Have we had any water crisis in the past? Is it not this month that we have started experiencing water shortage? The plan was to force us chase out galamsey operators; but we won’t stop them today or tomorrow [crowd cheered] because there is a difference between mining in the forest and small scale or community mining and there is difference between mining in rivers, those people we will stop them. Anybody who mines in a river is a bad person and God will punish such people,” he said.

A group known as the Lawful Small Scale and Community Miners have thrown their support behind the under-pressure lawmaker.

In a statement released on Tuesday and signed by the PRO, Yaw Ansah, he stated “As responsible miners, we stand behind Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie and his efforts to protect both our industry and the environment. We call on all stakeholders to join in promoting responsible, lawful mining practices in Ghana.”

“Hon. Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie has taken a bold stance by separating the practices of responsible, regulated miners from the destructive and illegal activities commonly referred to as “galamsey,” which includes mining in water bodies. By doing so, he ensures that the livelihoods of genuine miners, who abide by the laws and environmental regulations, are safeguarded while addressing the harmful effects of illegal mining,” he explained.

“Hon. Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie’s commitment to supporting responsible mining practices while combating illegal operations is a step in the right direction. His approach will help preserve Ghana’s environment, particularly our water bodies, while ensuring that small-scale and community miners who operate within the law continue to contribute to the national economy. We Stand for Lawful Mining, ” Mr Ansah added.

Read also:

2024 Elections: Galamsey fight is the least of issues for voters – Global InfoAnalytics

 

 

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