Small scale miners in the Amansie West District have accused the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of hypocrisy in the fight against galamsey.
The miners claim the NDC secretly supports strikes demanding a moratorium on all mining activities while publicly pretending to support their businesses.
“We can’t trust them; they’re hypocrites,” said some angry miners.
The Small Scale Miners Association has launched a crusade against illegal mining, particularly on water bodies and forest reserves.
Zonal Chairman Joseph Mensah appealed to the government to support their efforts.
“We’ve formed a taskforce to flush out illegal miners,” Mensah said. “Galamsey activities hurt our businesses and must be stopped.”
Miner Hon. Amankwa Anthony disagreed with calls for a total ban on their activities, saying it won’t solve the problem.
“This will only lead to more unemployment and hardship,” Anthony said.
The Association has pledged to work with the government to eradicate illegal mining.
The galamsey menace has devastated Ghana’s environment and water resources.
The government has vowed to tackle the issue.
