Renowned pharmacist and Democracy and Development Fellow in Public Health at the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Dr. Kwame Asiedu Sarpong, has strongly criticized the government’s handling of illegal mining, particularly the activities of Akonta Mining.
In passionate remarks, Dr. Sarpong expressed deep frustration over the lack of action by state institutions and security apparatuses, accusing government officials of treating Ghanaians as uninformed and ignoring crucial security issues.
Dr. Sarpong referenced a petition he, Ing. Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, the Lead Convener of the Media Coalition against Galamsey and private legal practitioner, lawyer Martin Kpebu filed with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) calling for an investigation into the alleged illegal operations of Akonta Mining.
He argued that despite this, the petition has seemingly been ignored, with no substantial updates or actions taken by the police or government to address their concerns.
“We’ve not heard anything from that to the point I speak to you now,” Dr Sarpong lamented, noting the continuous silence from authorities, despite evidence presented.
He particularly took issue with a recent statement from a medical doctor, who is also a Member of Parliament for the ruling government, who made claims about the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) allegedly importing foreigners to interfere with matters concerning illegal mining.
Dr Sarpong found these comments disingenuous, stressing that as a fellow medical professional, and MP should know better than to make inflammatory statements that cast Ghanaians in a negative light.
“Let me be blunt here, the person who spoke is a medical doctor. He belongs to the medical profession same as I do. He should know better and should stop treating Ghanaians like ignorant idiots because we are not”.
Dr Kwame Asiedu Sarpong, CDD-Ghana D&D Fellow in Public Health and renowned Pharmacist
He questioned why, if such claims were true, no action had been taken by the security services: “Who is in government? Who’s in charge of security? What has the security done about getting rid of those people?”
Dr. Sarpong’s frustration extended to the government’s broader approach to illegal mining, which he believes is being exploited for political gain rather than effectively tackled.
He accused the ruling party of treating illegal mining issues as “political football” instead of ensuring the security apparatus does its job.
“If you have information and you’re going to go on political platforms to use it to play political football, then you are a danger to this society,” he warned.
The Fight Against Illegal Mining
Reflecting on the government’s performance in addressing illegal mining, commonly referred to as “galamsey,” Dr Sarpong was unequivocal in his assessment.
He declared the government’s failure to curb the illegal practice as a critical failure of leadership. “If I was to use illegal mining as the yardstick for Ghanaians to vote, then I would say this government has failed,” he asserted, adding that he made no apologies for this statement.
Dr. Sarpong’s remarks come at a time when illegal mining remains a contentious issue in Ghana, with its devastating environmental consequences becoming more apparent across the country.
Despite various efforts, including the establishment of an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) and a national task force, the scourge of illegal mining persists, raising questions about the commitment of the government to resolve the issue.
He further noted that if illegal mining were the sole factor determining votes in the upcoming elections, the government would be in dire straits.
“Obviously, [voters] will have to vote on the basis of favor, and their choice would be up to them,” he said, implying that many may no longer have faith in the government’s ability to manage the illegal mining menace.
Dr. Sarpong’s remarks strike at the heart of ongoing political and security debates in Ghana, particularly as the country approaches another election cycle.
His pointed questions regarding the role of the National Security apparatus, the police, and other state institutions highlight the growing public perception of inefficiency and inaction within government circles.
He emphasized that Ghana’s security forces, including the police and the National Investigation Bureau (NIB), have all the resources necessary to combat illegal mining and other related issues.
However, their continued failure to act on intelligence and evidence provided suggests either negligence or deliberate inaction, which Dr. Sarpong finds unacceptable.
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