Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie, Middle Belt Coordinator for the New Patriotic Party Campaign and Member of Parliament for Effiduase-Asokore Constituency, has called on National Security to investigate Togolese nationals engaged in illegal mining and environmental destruction in Ghana's Eastern region.
In a one-on-one interview with Despite Media Sampson Kwame Nyamekye in Kumasi, Dr. Ayew Afriyie revealed that the Small Scale Miners Association arrested these Togolese nationals and handed them over to the police.
He said during interrogation, the suspects named three individuals - Noah, J.J. and one Assemblyman, all affiliated with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) - as financiers and equipment suppliers for the illegal operations.
Dr. Ayew Afriyie stated that while J.J. and the Assemblyman are currently at large, Noah was apprehended en route to supply changfan machines to the illegal miners.
He accused the NDC of fueling public discussions on galamsey to discredit the NPP government, despite their own involvement in illicit mining activities.
The MP emphasized the need for police and national security agencies to intervene, bringing perpetrators to justice.
He warned against politicizing the anti-galamsey efforts, stressing that this would hinder progress. Dr. Ayew Afriyie urged Ghanaians and civil society organizations to take an interest in exposing those behind illegal mining.
Galamsey mining activities in Ghana pose significant environmental, health, and economic challenges. The practice, which involves illegal small-scale mining, has devastated forests, farmland, and water systems, leading to water scarcity, chronic diseases, and damage to cocoa production.
Despite efforts by the government to clamp down on galamsey activities, the illegal act continues to increase.
