Richard Ahiagbah, the communications director for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), has asked former president John Dramani Mahama for information on NDC members who allegedly engaged in unlawful small-scale mining, often known as galamsey, but had their equipment seized.
The former president, according to Mr. Ahiagbah, must be patriotic enough to assist the police in apprehending offenders.
Mr. Ahiagbah made the call in response to a claim made by the former president Mahama, who claimed that the government had been purposefully harassing NDC supporters who engaged in galamsey while enabling NPP zealots to do so with impunity.
The Akufo-Addo administration has made progress in its fight against galamsey, according to Mr. Ahiagbah, who addressed the claims in an interview with Eyewitness News on Citi FM. He also urged the previous president to provide information that will result in the prosecution of such individuals.
“When the president took charge of the battle against Galamsey, he involved everyone since it was an open battle he was conducting and there was no secrecy around it. I ask people to join in and dismiss the remarks of the past president.”
We are all working together to eradicate galamsey, so if the previous president is aware of anyone indulging in it, he should inform us. But we’re curious about the NDC supporters he claimed were participating in galamsey.
Mr. Ahiagbah emphasised further, “We must be interested in what the former president was saying because it is revealing that there are NDC members who engage in galamsey. He is aware of them and encourages them to continue doing so, but they are now miffed because the battle against galamsey is winning.
Mr. Ahiagbah further stated that the government’s campaign against galamsey has been largely successful and he urged the public to work together and in unison to continue it.
“The struggle against galamsey is ongoing, and we all have to make efforts to assist make the fight a success,” the Lands Minister stated.
