Member of Parliament for Walwale, Dr. Karibu Tiah Mahama has expressed concern about what he explained as government’s inability to give precise measures in its efforts to fight against Galamsey.
Speaking on the Joynews current affairs program, Newsfile, last Saturday, he argued he does not see why a member of government cannot engage in small-scale mining which is legal. He suggests that the government should rather focus on sustainable ways of mining to gain valuable profits.
“…until we get something concrete and we are able to say the President has promised within one year to transition every illegal miner into a scheme and registration would be done within a month… until he has something of that nature, I will not have confidence in the mere statement…” he said.
Dr. Kabiru also said he found the President’s directive that members of government should not be involved in “any form of small scale mining or Galamsey” as populist.
“I think that it’s a livelihood issue. We must find ways of protecting people’s livelihood by regulating them. And I find the President’s statement rather to be very populist…in the sense that…I don’t see why a member of government cannot do small scale mining, with the greatest of respect…unless of course you are saying that let’s stop small scale mining, let’s leave the resources in the ground. Let’s allow maybe posterity to come, future generation will and decide to do whatever they want [with it]” he stated
In the same discussion, Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey of the Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey added that it is important that the rhetoric around Galamsey should be backed by action to cause change.
