Gospel musician, Nicholas Omane Acheampong, has made allegations regarding the ongoing illegal mining activities, known locally as galamsey, in Ghana, pointing to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as complicit.
He claims that the aim of these actions is to destroy water bodies and tarnish the reputation of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to sway votes in favour of the NDC.
Acheampong further asserted that if President Akufo-Addo had deployed soldiers to galamsey sites to combat these illegal miners, the same foreigners would have disguised themselves as soldiers and killed Ghanaians to sabotage the NPP government.
Growing calls to ban galamsey
The controversy comes amid growing calls from various organisations, unions, and the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) for the government to take decisive action against galamsey. The GWCL has reported significant difficulties in treating water from polluted sources, particularly in the Central Region, where treatment facilities along the River Pra are not operating at full capacity due to excessive contamination.
Health sector associations and unions, including the Ghana Medical Association and the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association, have demanded an immediate ban on all small-scale mining operations, whether legal or illegal. They have also called for stronger regulatory directives and resources for security agencies to crack down on illegal miners.
The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) and the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) have also joined the campaign, urging the government to impose an immediate ban on illegal mining to protect the environment, farmers’ livelihoods, and food security.
