E/R:NADMO Director Blames NDC for Galamsey Crisis, Urges Support for Dr. Bawumia and NPP’s Sustainable Mining Agenda.

Mr. Stephen Osei-Wusu, the Abuakwa North Municipal Director of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), who also serves as the Abuakwa North New Patriotic Party (NPP) Constituency Communication Director and Dean of Eastern Regional NPP Communicators, has strongly criticized the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the worsening illegal mining crisis, commonly referred to as "galamsey," in Ghana.

According to Mr. Osei-Wusu, the roots of Ghana’s galamsey issues can be traced back to the launch of the NDC's "Youth In Mining Initiative" in Akwatia, Eastern Region, during the tenure of the late President Prof. Fiifi Evans Attah-Mills and his successor, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, in 2010. He argued that this initiative marked a significant turning point in the country’s illegal mining practices, which previously were carried out using primitive methods that caused minimal damage to the environment.

He elaborated that, prior to the NDC's initiative, galamsey activities were largely limited to small-scale, manual operations without the use of advanced tools. However, with the introduction of the Youth In Mining policy, miners were trained in South Africa to operate heavy machinery like excavators and to use harmful chemicals such as mercury and cyanide. This shift in technique, he noted, led to large-scale environmental degradation, including the destruction of forest reserves and the pollution of water bodies through the use of mechanized mining equipment like "chamfans."

Mr. Osei-Wusu pointed out that successive governments, including the current administration led by President Nana Akufo-Addo, have made extensive efforts to combat illegal mining. These efforts included deploying military and police personnel to affected areas to enforce the law. Despite these measures, he admitted that the problem persists, and the government's attempts to eliminate illegal mining have not been entirely successful.

He further commended President Akufo-Addo for his decisive action in 2017, when he risked his political career by placing a temporary ban on all mining activities. This move, he explained, was intended to allow the government to develop a more sustainable and responsible mining strategy, which led to the establishment of the five member Inter-Ministerial Ad-hoc Mining Committee. Mr. Osei-Wusu criticized the NDC for allegedly using the ongoing galamsey situation as a political tool against the NPP, which, according to him, contributed to the party's loss of parliamentary seats in mining regions.

The NPP communicator also accused the NDC of allegedly sponsoring illegal mining activities that have caused widespread devastation to river bodies across the country. He called on traditional authorities, opinion leaders, the clergy, and all Ghanaians to unite in the fight against the "cancer" of galamsey, urging a collective effort to save the nation's environment and water resources.

In addition to his criticism of the NDC's role in the galamsey issue, Mr. Osei-Wusu urged Ghanaians to rally behind Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and vote massively for the NPP in the 2024 general elections for a comprehensive solution to the country’s illegal mining crisis. He emphasized that the NPP has outlined a clear roadmap for sustainable mining practices in its manifesto, which includes engaging the Ghana Geological Survey Department to accurately identify mineral deposits and promote the use of gold-catching machines instead of harmful chemicals in regulated community mining operations.

He stressed that Dr. Bawumia and the NPP's vision for sustainable mining is aimed at minimizing environmental damage while maximizing the benefits of the nation’s mineral resources. Mr. Osei-Wusu appealed to traditional authorities, opinion leaders, and all Ghanaians to unite in supporting the NPP’s efforts to ensure that mining activities are conducted in a manner that preserves the environment for future generations.

Mr. Stephen Osei-Wusu made these remarks during an interview on Nopras 107.5 FM with Nana Kwasi Asare on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, where he called for confidence in Dr. Bawumia’s leadership and urged Ghanaians to secure an overwhelming victory for the NPP in the 2024 elections to set the stage for a sustainable and responsible approach to mining in Ghana.

By Nana Kwasi Asare