In a move that has sparked widespread outrage and disappointment, the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has found itself at the centre of a storm, with its leadership accused of unilaterally pulling out of an organised labour-led anti-galamsey strike.
Renowned investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, in a statement, exposed deep rifts within the GMA, challenging the integrity of the association’s decision to distance itself from the nationwide protest aimed at combating illegal mining, or “galamsey,” which has severely impacted the country’s environment and public health.
In a detailed revelation, Manasseh highlighted the troubling role played by GMA President, Dr. Frank Serebour, accusing him of unilaterally signing a statement announcing the GMA’s withdrawal from the strike without the approval or consensus of the association’s executive members.
“I said ‘single-handedly’ because if you look at these five GMA Press releases I have shared, all four previous ones were co-signed by the President and General Secretary of the association. Only the anti-galamsey press statement was signed by the President alone.
“Apart from the petition from a GMA member that says Dr Frank Serebour acted alone on the association’s position on the strike, highly placed sources in the GMA have told me that there was no meeting among the executives that discussed or agreed on what the President said”.
Manasseh Azure Awuni, Ace and award-winning Investigative Journalist
The decision to withdraw from the strike has ignited fierce criticism, as the GMA’s stance on galamsey comes under scrutiny. Illegal mining has devastated Ghana’s natural resources, contaminated water bodies, and posed severe health risks.
Manasseh challenged the GMA’s justification for opting out of the strike, particularly the claim that doctors could not join due to the critical nature of their work.
“If the claim that medical doctors cannot take part in the strike because of the critical nature of their work is anything to go by, then what happened in similar strikes in the past?” Manasseh asked, pointing to the association’s historical involvement in industrial actions that prioritized their working conditions over national concerns.
GMA’s Priorities Questioned
The Ace Investigative Journalist also expressed deep concerns over the association’s priorities and the precedent it sets, questioning whether the GMA would receive public support if it were to strike for its own conditions of service in the future.
Furthermore, Manasseh Azure Awuni emphasized that the GMA, as an organisation dedicated to safeguarding public health, should have been leading the charge against galamsey, given its disastrous effects on the country’s health system.
He strongly asserted that the association’s role in this crisis is more critical than ever. The controversy deepens with the insinuation that political affiliations may have influenced the GMA President’s stance.
Manasseh noted that Dr. Serebour, like other key figures opposing the anti-galamsey strike, hails from areas perceived as strongholds of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
This according to Manasseh raised suspicions of political bias within what should be a neutral, health-focused association, hinting at the possibility of political influence shaping the association’s decisions.
The GMA’s withdrawal from the strike has been widely condemned by leading activists as a betrayal of the national interest. With galamsey posing existential threats to the environment, public health, and future generations, the association’s decision to step aside when its voice was most needed is seen by many as a grave misstep.
Manasseh’s incisive critique of the GMA’s actions underscores the need for integrity and transparency in decision-making, especially from organisations entrusted with the health and well-being of the nation.
The association must now confront the growing calls for accountability and reconsider its role in the national fight against galamsey, a battle that according to many goes beyond self-interest and touches the very core of Ghana’s future.
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