Galamsey operations like a drug cartel with active involvement of law enforcers – Dafeamekpor

Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has likened the activities of illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) to how drug cartels operate.

He suggested that persons involved in galamsey activities employ bribery and in worst case scenarios maim and kill people who obstruct their activities without regard to the disastrous environmental and economic implications of their

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In a Twitter post on October 4, the legislator added that people who have been charged to enforce laws have also reneged on their responsibility as they are involved in the galamsey activities.

Dafeamekpor was commenting on a Reuters report that “cocoa production in Ghana is expected to fall by at least 31% in 2021/22 from the season before” on reasons largely blamed on the climate.

The MP tweeted: “the Galamsey activities now in this country operates like a Drug Cartel: they bribe, maim and kill, if they have to, with obvious disastrous consequences for our environmental health as well as the economy. Those to implement the laws are busily involved.”

Ghana has been waging a war on the activities of illegal miners in recent years, however, it is widely believed that the fight has not yielded the desired results.

The President, it will be recalled placed his presidency on the line in 2017 over the galamsey menace. However, many hold the view that the fight has not been a success as a result of the state of water bodies as well as the fact that some top officials have been found complicit in the fight.

Nana Akufo-Addo opines that he paid a political price for his fight as he lost votes and in some cases, NPP lawmakers also lost their seats in mining areas in the 2020 elections.

Pressure group, OccupyGhana, has urged President Akufo-Addo to declare a state of emergency in mining areas and to recommit to the fight against the illegal activity.

In a meeting with the National House of Chiefs on the matter on October 5, President Akufo-Addo urged traditional authorities to help in curbing the menace stressing that it should be a national fight devoid of partisan politics.

The Galamsey activities now in this country operates like a Drug Cartel: they bribe, maim and kill, if they have to, with obvious disastrous consequences for our environmental health as well as the economy. Those to implement the laws are busily involved.https://t.co/zRyiQvo4zh

— Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, Esq. MP. (@etsedafeamekpor) October 4, 2022