GhArticles.com Every News in Detail
Frank Annoh Dompreh, the Majority Chief Whip, has sparked controversy by accusing the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of engaging in illegal mining, known as “galamsey,” more extensively than the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). His comments came during an emergency parliamentary session where environmental damage caused by illegal mining was a key topic.
Annoh Dompreh claimed that the NDC, during its time in power, contributed more to environmental pollution through galamsey activities than the NPP. “If we are to investigate both sides of the House, I can tell you that the NDC polluted the water more than us. So let’s get matters straight,” he asserted on Tuesday.
His statement was met with strong opposition from NDC members, who argued that the NPP has failed to effectively tackle the galamsey issue. Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson criticized the government, stating, “If the President has failed to curb illegal mining, he should admit so. And if the Defence Minister has failed in tackling galamsey, he should admit so.”
This debate over galamsey activities has intensified following the tragic death of two-and-a-half-year-old twins who drowned in an abandoned galamsey pit in Morkwaa, a farming community in the Twifo Atti-Morkwa District of the Central Region. This incident marks the eighth fatality caused by uncovered galamsey pits in the district this year.
The ongoing controversy also aligns with the recent actions of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who destooled three prominent chiefs—the Sabronum Gyaasehene, the Akyeamhene, and the Baamuhene—due to their involvement in illegal mining. The Asantehene’s decision reflects a strong stance on preserving the environment and maintaining traditional authority in the face of the galamsey menace.
