Winning galamsey fight possible, but obstacles are many- Derek Oduro

The Deputy Minister of Defence, Major (rtd) Derek Oduro, says it is possible for the country to win the fight against galamsey but has also admitted that there are many obstacles .

He made the comments in relation to the recent issues concerning Chinese national, Huang Ruixia alias Aisha Huang and that of the missing excavators at Ellembelle.

After being deported in December 2018, Aisha Huang and three others were recently arrested and remanded for allegedly engaging in illegal mining in Ghana.

The accused persons were charged for engaging in sale and purchase of minerals without a licence.

Speaking on Atinka TV‘s morning show, Ghana Nie with Ekourba Gyasi Simpremu, Major (rtd) Derek Oduro said, “It is possible to fight galamsey, but there are so many obstacles, there are so many mine fields that should be protected but people are sabotaging it, and they know what they are doing is not good but they are using it to do politics. Because of the galamsey fight, a lot voted against the NPP, we are all aware that most of the places where the people do galamsey, they voted against NPP,” he said.

He also advised the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government not to allow Members of Parliament (MPs) to lead the fight against illegal mining (galamsey) in their communities.

Derek Oduro observed that when it happens like that, the people tend to vote against the MPs during election, a situation he believes is unfair on the part of the galamseyers.

“If we want a solution to this menace, what we should do is that, we should not allow any MP in the areas where they mine to get involved in the fight against galamsey. We should not allow any of them to lead the fight against galamsey because his own people, the youth who vote for them are part of the galamseyers so when you go and speak against it then you have an issue. Meanwhile, if you do not talk about it to things go bad,” he said.