Professor Eric KK Abavare, President of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, (UTAG) KNUST, has expressed his frustration over the hypocrisy of politicians in addressing the issue of galamsey in Ghana.
In a strongly-worded statement, Prof. Abavare accused politicians of playing a “swinging tactic” game with the issue of galamsey, with both the NPP and NDC being complicit in the destruction of the environment.
He cited the example of Prof Stephen Adei, former Chairman of the Ghana Revenue Authority Board and National Development Planning Commission, who has been vocal about the galamsey menace but failed to speak out when the NPP government passed LI 2462, which allowed miners to enter forest reserves.
Prof. Abavare questioned the sincerity of politicians who claim to be fighting galamsey while having been part of governments that have contributed to the problem. He called on past government officials to keep quiet on the issue, as they have no moral right to comment.
He emphasised that the destruction caused by galamsey is a national issue that requires collective action and that politicians should not use it for cheap political gain.
The UTAG KNUST President also expressed concern about the health impacts of galamsey, citing the alarming number of deaths through kidney failures in hospitals, and urged Ghanaians to come together to fight the menace.
He said the problem of galamsey in Ghana has become something like a pendulum swinging or seesaw for both NPP and NDC; unfortunately, both political parties are fooling every well-meaning Ghanaian.
“The closer a person is to the centre of corruption, the quieter the person becomes at the sight of corruption. Conversely, the noisier the person becomes when far away from the corruption centre.”
In conclusion, he said, ‘Politicians should not use galamsey for cheap political gain.’ They should work together to solve the problem.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
