NDC demands bipartisan enquiry into “galamsey report”

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has demanded an immediate bipartisan enquiry into recent leaked “galamsey report” by the chairman of the defunct inter-ministerial committee on illegal mining, Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.

The party said, the enquiry will establish the truth or otherwise of allegations levelled against government officials in the report.

It also called on the office of the special prosecutor to act with urgency by probing the report and prosecuting all government officials, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) functionaries and persons alleged to be complicit in perpetuating crimes against the state in the said report.

Sammy Gyamfi, the national communications officer of the NDC, made the demand at a news conference in Accra on Tuesday dubbed the “Moment of Truth.”

Gyamfi explained that the NDC has always believed that the government’s claim of fighting illegal mining is a mere rhetoric. He described the details of the report as simply “scandalous, scary, sordid, pervasive and rotten to the core.”

The communications officer stated that the report has indeed shocked the conscience of the nation. He said, “No amount of half-witted and half-hearted explanations from the presidency or government can whitewash this great infamy.

“The report confirms one truth: that illegal mining activities have been a free-for-all enterprise for many in the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP administration. From ministers, presidential staffers and other associates in government, to national, regional, constituency and even unit committee executives of the New Patriotic Party, their agents, personal assistants, relatives and financiers, many have been cited to have either engaged in or promoted illegal mining with reckless abandon.”

Gyamfi emphasized the need for parliament to institute a publicly televised and bipartisan enquiry into the report, indicating that Ghanaians deserve such a probe, considering that millions of tax payers’ money has gone down the drain in the name of fighting illegal mining.

He stated that, any country that has no firm grip on the protection of its forests, natural reserves, wet lands and biodiversity, is one that is doomed to extinction.

He said, “It is sad to say that Ghana is fast approaching this scary reality under the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP administration, who are busy destroying all our vegetative buffers to satisfy their greed and selfishness.”

Gyamfi added that, as a further step to back its demands, the party will formally submit a request to both the parliament and the office of the special prosecutor to initiate the necessary investigations into report.

He said, “It is our fervent hope and firm belief that, these issues will not be swept under the carpet, and that the special prosecutor and parliament will rise to the occasion to stop the continuous desecration of our presidency and environment by President Akufo-Addo, his vice, Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia and the New Patriotic Party.”

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