The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has slammed the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for calling its efforts to combat illegal mining in the country a sham.
In a press statement, Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah, the NPP’s Deputy Director of Communications, claimed the NDC’s behavior is “like the pot calling the kettle black since their track record in the galamsey problem is bad.”
Mr. Owusu Bempah accused the NDC of permitting and allowing galamsey to flourish while they had the potential to stop it.
He also accused the NDC of allowing Aisha Huang, the galamsey leader, to thrive in Ghana.
“For those who may have missed it, the former Mahama administration granted Aisha Huang an indefinite residency status.
“On March 28, 2015, Aisha Huang was granted an indefinite resident visa, allowing her to dwell here in perpetuity and participate in her criminal activities.
“This occurred during Mahama’s presidency. Meanwhile, she was unable to obtain the permit throughout President Kufour’s tenure.”
“As a result, any heinous attempt by the NDC to rationalize galamsey’s political economy must be roundly rejected,” Owusu Bempah stated.
According to him, it is beyond debate that the national record of the negative impact of galamsey under the “John Mahama-led government left much to be desired.”
Reacting to claims by NDC’s National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi that Alito-Addo will continue to shield galamsey culprits, he added that the Akufo-Addo administration has just been managing a very poor situation as well as it can through the skillful and reasonably constructive application of the statutory rules of the land.
During a press conference in Accra on Thursday, October 6, 2022, the NDC’s National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, stated that the President is not backing up his efforts with action.
He labeled the tactics and strategies put in place by government to win the war against illegality as a transparent lie, stating that some members of the NPP and government are behind galamsey in the country.
