The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has urged all political actors to abandon partisan interests and unite in the fight against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin made the remarks on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday while commenting on the violent attack on the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) task force in the Ahafo Region.
“Let us, for once, agree on core national issues of discourse, stay away from partisan approaches, and deal with the galamsey menace. The fight against illegal mining requires collective action — not an NDC or NPP affair. Let us make it a Ghana affair,” he said.
Speaker Alban Bagbin had earlier issued a formal communiqué on the floor of Parliament on the matter, reigniting national concern over the escalating environmental and social damage caused by illegal mining operations.
The Minority Leader lamented that political convenience and electoral gains had consistently undermined efforts to curb galamsey and emphasised that the time had come for leaders across the political spectrum to prioritise national interest over party loyalty.
“We have failed as active stakeholders and political leaders in this galamsey fight, and it’s getting worse,” Afenyo-Markin stated.
He noted that the politicisation of the galamsey fight had crippled enforcement and emboldened perpetrators.
The incident in question involved a mob attack on operatives of NAIMOS, including military personnel, during a lawful operation in Hwidiem, in the Ahafo Region.
Reports indicate that the Members of Parliament for Asutifi North and South — Ebenezer Kwaku Addo and Collins Dauda — are under investigation for allegedly interfering with the task force’s operations and inciting the violence.
The attack has sparked widespread condemnation and raised questions about political complicity in illegal mining activities.
Illegal mining continues to wreak havoc across Ghana, particularly in the Ashanti, Eastern, and Western Regions. Rivers are poisoned with mercury and lead, forests are decimated, and agricultural lands are rendered infertile.
Despite numerous government initiatives — including the establishment of NAIMOS and the recent Ghana Gold Board Bill — enforcement remains weak and inconsistent.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin’s intervention signalled a shift in tone from partisan critique to national solidarity.
He called on political actors, civil society organisations, traditional leaders, and the media to forge a united front against galamsey, warning that failure to act decisively would result in irreversible environmental degradation and social unrest.
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