The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has called on political leaders across party lines to set aside partisan interests and work together to
The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has called on political leaders across party lines to set aside partisan interests and work together to combat illegal mining, widely known as galamsey.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, he was responding to the recent violent attack on the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) task force in the Ahafo Region.
“Let us, for once, agree on core national issues, stay away from partisan approaches, and deal with the galamsey menace. The fight against illegal mining requires collective action — it is not an NDC or NPP affair. Let us make it a Ghana affair,” Afenyo-Markin said.
His remarks followed a formal communiqué from Speaker Alban Bagbin expressing national concern over the environmental and social damage caused by illegal mining operations.
Afenyo-Markin lamented that political expediency and electoral gains have repeatedly undermined efforts to curb galamsey. He stressed that leaders across the political spectrum must prioritize national interest over party loyalty.
“We have failed as active stakeholders and political leaders in this galamsey fight, and it’s getting worse,” he said, noting that politicisation has weakened enforcement and emboldened perpetrators.
The incident involved a mob attack on NAIMOS operatives, including military personnel, during a lawful operation in Hwidiem, Ahafo Region. Reports indicate that MPs for Asutifi North and South — Ebenezer Kwaku Addo and Collins Dauda — are under investigation for allegedly interfering with the task force and inciting the violence.
Illegal mining continues to devastate parts of Ghana, particularly the Ashanti, Eastern, and Western Regions, poisoning rivers with mercury and lead, destroying forests, and rendering agricultural lands infertile. Despite government interventions, including the establishment of NAIMOS and the Ghana Gold Board Bill, enforcement remains inconsistent.
Afenyo-Markin’s appeal was a call for unity, urging political actors, civil society groups, traditional authorities, and the media to collaborate in addressing galamsey. He warned that failure to act decisively could lead to irreversible environmental degradation and social unrest.