Politics of Thursday, 16 May 2024
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2024-05-16NPP dismisses Mahama's AI promise to combat galamsey as political rhetoric
Richard Ahiagbah, Director of Communications for the NPP
Ghanaian
Richard Ahiagbah, the Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has criticized John Dramani Mahama's pledge to utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the fight against illegal mining, dismissing it as mere political rhetoric.
Ahiagbah expressed doubt about Mahama's ability to effectively address the issue of galamsey if he were to be
Read full articlere-elected, suggesting that the NDC, under Mahama's leadership, would fail to tackle the problem.
Ahiagbah accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of actively promoting illegal mining activities, implying that their promises to address galamsey should not be taken seriously.
He emphasized the severity of the galamsey issue, describing it as an existential threat to Ghana that requires a united effort from all sectors of society to combat effectively.
According to Ahiagbah, the NDC and Mahama are complicit in perpetuating the illegal mining problem, casting doubt on their sincerity in addressing it.
He stated, "The NDC are promoters of galamsey. Therefore, H.E Mahama’s promise to use AI-powered plan to combat galamsey is a vote-seeking gimmick."
John Dramani Mahama, during the 3rd Annual Transformational Dialogue on Small-scale Mining at the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) in Sunyani, outlined his plan to leverage AI in tackling illegal mining.
He proposed using AI to identify all small-scale mining and galamsey operations, monitor excavator movements, and establish geofences around concessions to enhance coordination and monitoring within the sector.
Despite Mahama's proposal, Ahiagbah remains skeptical, asserting that resolving the galamsey issue is impossible under Mahama and the NDC, whom he accuses of being "promoters and beneficiaries of galamsey."
