As the December 2024 elections draw closer, the issue of ending galamsey once and for all, has become a topical.
Citizens have been voicing out the dangers of the illegal activity , and challenged politicians especially the contesting candidates and parties to demonstrate evidence to uproot the canker if voted into office.
Napo’s voice
Significantly, NPP vice presidential candidate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh has been vociferous on the fight against galamsey, providing far-reaching measures to overcome the problem.
As concerns grow for action against the menace, Napo, as Dr Opoku Prempeh is popularly known, has demonstrated his commitment and that of his boss, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to uprooting the canker.
He has equally taken the fight to NDC presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, challenging him to provide clear evidence that he is equally interested in curbing the menace.
Aversion
On various platforms, Napo has openly declared his deep-seated aversion to galamsey. For instance speaking at the 13th Biennial Delegates Conference of the Association of Methodist Men’s Fellowship at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on Saturday, September 14, 2024, Napo called on political parties and their leaders, particularly John Mahama and the NDC, to demonstrate their commitment to fighting galamsey by signing a binding national anti-galamsey pact.
Furthermore, he urged religious organizations , especially the church, to lead the process of engaging stakeholders to develop this national anti-galamsey pact.
The proposed pact, according to him, should outline a comprehensive roadmap to finding permanent solutions to the galamsey menace, which poses a serious threat to the environment and human life.
NPP Manifesto
The NPP vice presidential candidate has also indicated that the NPP’s 2024 manifesto has detailed plans to address galamsey and promote a golden age for small-scale mining. This will benefit the economy while strictly adhering to best environmental practices.
Emphasizing that responsible mining is the way to go, Napo says, “The Lord placed more gold on this earth than anything else because it’s meant for development, not destruction. When the last tree dies, the last man dieGalamseyne should be allowed to mine in our river bodies. We are not a lawless country.”
