Members of Parliament from both the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) clashed on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday over which government bears greater responsibility for fueling illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
The heated exchanges followed a statement by the NPP MP for Manhyia North and former Deputy Lands Minister, Konadu Akwasi, who accused the current administration of failing to match its anti-galamsey rhetoric with decisive action.
“Mr Speaker, galamsey is not simply an environmental issue, it is a national security threat. It fuels local conflicts, deepens poverty, and exposes our youth to preventable deaths,” he said.
The Manhyia North MP urged the government to leverage technology and satellite surveillance systems under the digitalisation agenda spearheaded by former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to monitor high-risk mining areas in real time.
“The digital infrastructure, once mocked and misunderstood by our opponents, now presents a strategic tool to combat the galamsey menace with precision, transparency, and accountability,” he argued.
Mr. Akwasi further called for renewed investment in community-based mining cooperatives to provide legitimate and sustainable alternatives for young people engaged in illegal mining.
“We cannot continue to treat deaths in galamsey pits as collateral damage,” he cautioned.
“These are preventable tragedies resulting from policy gaps, institutional inertia, and sometimes deliberate neglect. Let’s be bold and act now.”
Adding his voice, the NPP MP for Bimbilla and former Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, condemned the destruction of cocoa farms and livelihoods by illegal miners operating with questionable permits.
“Youth are being destroyed because of galamsey,” he lamented.
“It’s painful when the Minerals Commission sits in Accra and issues permits that allow others to destroy cocoa farms.”
Mr. Nitiwul urged the government to adopt a tougher stance, including a one-year ban on surface mining, similar to measures taken during the erstwhile government and his time at the Defence Ministry.
“If you continue sending just two, three, or four soldiers onto the field, you’re putting their lives at risk,” he said.
“I never sent fewer than 100 soldiers to fight galamsey. Ban all surface mining for one year. You said you know the kingpins, go and arrest them.”
However, the NDC MP for Madina, Francis-Xavier Sosu, pushed back, calling for a non-partisan approach to tackling illegal mining.
He warned that continued failure to address the problem would be a betrayal of future generations.
“When we fail in the fight against galamsey, we fail the next generation,” he said.
“Every generation must use the natural resources available to it in a way that guarantees sustainability for the future. Unfortunately, that’s not what we’re seeing today.”
Mr. Sosu acknowledged recent government measures, such as the introduction of the Blue Water Guard and the revocation of the Legislative Instrument permitting mining in forest reserves, describing them as “decisive steps” in the right direction.
“I believe these are commendable efforts, but more must be done,” he added.
“If we can deal with this problem devoid of partisanship, we will ultimately achieve our goal.”
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