The Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, has called for the impeachment of President Akufo-Addo as a means of addressing the country’s illegal mining popularly known as galamsey.
According to him, the President has failed in his promise to combat galamsey, and impeachment would serve as the most effective solution to hold him accountable.
“There is no more potent solution to ending galamsey than impeaching President Akufo-Addo. If both parties support it then we will be successful then President Mahama will be forewarned that if he becomes President and he fails the galamsey fight same will be done to him,” he said.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, the former Minority Leader said such an action would send a clear message to future leaders that failure to tackle galamsey would be met with the same consequence.
Mr Iddrisu criticised the current situation where, despite the President’s inability to curb illegal mining, he is still being praised.
“We praise him for his failure, and if we continue to honour failure, we will not make progress in addressing the issue,” he lamented.
He called on Parliament to step up and hold the President accountable for failing to safeguard the country’s natural resources and the livelihoods of citizens affected by galamsey.
However, he expressed concern that partisanship would prevent any meaningful action from being taken, even if a motion for impeachment is filed.
“Why should filing a motion seeking to impeach the President for failing to fight galamsey not be considered, given its impact on our forest and water resources and the livelihoods of our people? But when you initiate it, partisanship will take control,” he observed.
The MP therefore urged Parliament to act in the best interest of the nation, calling for an end to political divisions to address the illegal mining crisis effectively.
Conversations on galamsey and its dire impact arose after the management of Ghana Water Company Limited in the Central Region announced that there would be challenges with water supply in Cape Coast, Elmina, and surrounding communities.
This followed a JoyNews documentary titled ‘Poisoned Rivers’.
The company revealed that the recent demand-supply gap is due to inadequate raw water received at the Sekyere Hemang Water Treatment Plant (WTP) caused by galamsey activities.
Environmental groups, civil society organisations, and concerned citizens have since voiced their frustrations over the lack of significant progress in curbing galamsey activities, which have resulted in the contamination of rivers, destruction of farmlands, and loss of livelihoods for many Ghanaians.
Source: myjoyonline.com
