I do not see frustration in galamsay fight – Akufo-Addo

President Akufo-Addo has debunks assertion that the fight against illegal mining, popularly called Galamsay, is being frustrated by some politicians and traditional authorities.

“I do not see any frustration. Problems which are long-standing are not dealt with overnight. What you have to see is whether some things that have been put on the ground have been dealt with. Inevitably you will come across some resistance. Inevitably, there will be a vested interest.

The President said this when he was interviewed on Sunrise FM in Koforidua, adding that his government has a great commitment of ending Galamsay.

He said “some traditional authorities who are deeply involved in the Galamsey effort. They are there and you cannot wish them away. There will be political opponents…For me, all those are givens, I do not see them as elements of frustration. They are matters which are on the ground, and we have to take them into account.”

A committee, setup to see the implementation of the ban on galamsay and to vet small scale miners was struck by bribery which was exposed by the Anas Aremeyaw Anas, an investigative journalist.

Government’s commitment of ending illegal mining was questioned when the Chairman of the committee resigned after the expose which he was alleged to be involved.

Some civil society organizations and the opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) have said the government has failed in the fight against the illegal mining when it came out the some excavators have missing after they were ceased by the committee’s task force.

After NDC accusing the government of failing to deal with the illegal mining, Mr. Yaw Buaben Asamoah, NPP’s Communication of Director, called for concerted effort to tackle the galamsay.

—

By: Sammy Lou/www.frontpageghana.com/Ghana