The issue of illegal small-scale mining, known as “galamsey” in Ghana, has been a contentious one for years, with various political parties weighing in on the matter. Recently, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) held a press conference to address the issue, but their efforts were dismissed by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as a “pointless” attempt to gain votes.
In a statement issued by the NPP, the party accused the NDC of using the galamsey issue as a political tool to win votes. “The NDC sees galamsey as an avenue for votes and nothing more,” the statement read. “Their press conference was pointless and lacked any concrete solutions to the issue at hand.”
The NPP went on to claim that the NDC had a history of using such tactics to win votes, stating that “they have consistently used the galamsey issue as a political football, rather than actually taking steps to address the problem.”
Also check : There’s so much dent on Mahama’s image ,he won’t stand a better chance in 2024 – Kojo Bonsu
The NDC, however, has denied these accusations, insisting that their press conference was aimed at finding lasting solutions to the problem of illegal mining in the country. “We are not using galamsey as a political tool,” said the NDC’s National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi. “We are genuinely concerned about the damage that illegal mining is doing to our environment and our economy.”
Despite the NDC’s protests, the NPP remains skeptical of their intentions, insisting that the party has no real plan to tackle the issue. “The NDC has had years to address this problem, and yet they have done nothing,” the NPP statement read. “Their press conference was just another attempt to score cheap political points, and the people of Ghana deserve better than that.”
As the debate over galamsey continues, it remains to be seen whether either party will be able to find a lasting solution to the problem. However, one thing is clear: for now, the issue remains a highly politicized one, with each party accusing the other of using it as a tool to win votes.
