A senior lecturer at Kumasi Technical University, Dr. Afriyie, has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of importing foreign nationals to engage in illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, in Ghana’s water bodies.
Speaking on Wontumi TV, Dr. Afriyie claimed that the opposition party’s stance on galamsey is politically motivated.
“If they [NDC] genuinely believed illegal mining was a national security threat, they would have declared a state of emergency when they were in power,” he said.
He further argued that party leaders are exploiting galamsey to recoup money lost during the past eight years while showing little concern for the long-term environmental impact.
“NDC party leaders are using galamsey to get money lost in the past eight years. Mahama thinks of the current economy but not the future environmental effects,” Dr. Afriyie added.
The lecturer also suggested that the NDC is unlikely to pursue a complete ban on illegal mining, citing political calculations in constituencies where mining activities are widespread.
