Dr. Ing. Kenneth Ashigbey

Dr. Ing. Kenneth Ashigbey, the Convenor of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, has urged the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to begin implementing his strategies to combat illegal mining, widely known as ‘galamsey,’ before the 2024 general elections.

Ashigbey stressed that Ghanaians cannot afford to wait until after the elections for the policies in the manifestos of both the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to be enacted to address the pressing issue of ‘galamsey.’ He warned that the consequences for the country would be dire if illegal mining is not significantly reduced.

His remarks come in response to a recent announcement by Ghana Water Limited (GWL), which indicated that Cape Coast, Elmina, and nearby communities in the Central Region would face water shortages due to the impact of galamsey. The GWL statement, issued on Friday, August 30, revealed that pollution in the water catchment area had reduced water intake to critical levels, with approximately 60% of the catchment area silted as a result of illegal mining. The Sekyere Hemang Water Treatment Plant (WTP) has particularly struggled, facing a significant gap between water supply and demand due to the pollution of the Pra River.

In an interview on The Point of View with Selorm Adonoo on Channel One TV, Ashigbey called for immediate and decisive action from politicians to address the galamsey crisis. He criticized the government for not holding accountable those involved in illegal mining, highlighting companies like Akonta Mining and Heritage Imperial, which have avoided consequences despite numerous petitions.

Ashigbey pointed out the extensive benefits politicians have reaped from mining at the expense of the public, saying, “When you have a situation where the state, the leadership does not deal with its own who are involved in it, or all the big men who imported all of these excavators, then this is where we are going to go. Where then nature will start hitting back at us because it will impose a drought on you.”

He further warned that the country could face severe environmental consequences if action is delayed, especially with elections on the horizon. “At a time when your irresponsibility because you are going into the next election is at its height. And then what you start seeing are these pockets of drought. Already you have a situation where, if you are not careful, your grains are failing.”

Ashigbey concluded by emphasizing that immediate action is necessary: “So we cannot wait to say that these manifestos that we have seen, we want to wait until after the election before we start implementing them. Whether it’s coming from the current Vice President or the ex-President, so, the decision is now.”

Former President John Mahama has pledged to use Artificial Intelligence to combat illegal mining if elected in the December 7 general elections. Meanwhile, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has promised to support small-scale miners and introduce a new strategy to manage small-scale mining nationwide if he wins. He also vowed to implement a revised approach to curb illegal mining and preserve confiscated equipment, particularly excavators.