Charles Bissue, former Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) during the Akufo-Addo administration, has called for unified support for President John Dramani Mahama in the fight against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
Mr Bissue stressed that galamsey should not be politicised, as it represents a national crisis that threatens Ghana’s existence, food security, and stability.
He urged all Ghanaians, regardless of their political affiliations, to support the President and his government in ending this menace.
He made these remarks during an interview on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5 FM with host Kwame Agyapong.
“We must prioritize Ghana first when addressing galamsey,” he stated. “I feel for President John Dramani Mahama because when the NPP was in office, we were heavily criticized. President Mahama himself criticized us, but after assuming office, he has recognised the difficulties. We are currently toying with the future of Ghanaians; we need to deal with these challenges immediately. He should be willing to continue from where the NPP stopped. Politicization will not solve the problem. We, as the opposition, must support him so we can tackle the galamsey problem. The solution lies in helping the President address the issue.”
He added, “If we continue to politicize this, it will reach a point where our own families will be affected. The galamsey problem is akin to the cocaine business, and we need to crack the whip.”
Charles Bissue also underscored the need for greater discipline among Ghanaians.
Regarding a potential state of emergency, he noted that a previous two-year ban on small-scale mining under former President Akufo-Addo did not solve the problem.
He pointed out that illegal mining involves a wide range of individuals, including pastors, politicians, Christians, and Muslims, highlighting the need for a fundamental change in mindset.
“We need to be ruthless in dealing with galamsey,” he asserted. “He only has four years to govern, so he should be ruthless in dealing with it once and for all.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
