The Member of Parliament for Wa, Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, has accused the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of double-standardness in the country’s fight against the illegal trade of mining.
According to him, while on one breath, the president has told the country that he is committed to the fight, there is evidence of many people within his close circles at the seat of government, the Jubilee House, neck-deep in the illegality.
He explained that the activities of these government officials, many of whom he has evidence of, are contributing to the mass destruction of the country’s lands.
“The NPP government under Nana Addo have never been serious with needed commitment to save our lands from illegal mining practices. The utterances of the former Minister of Environment, reflecting the true state of affairs, suggest that the chickens have come to roost.
“From the mouth of the former Minister of Environment, Dr. Frimpong Boateng, government officials, even from the presidency, are neck deep in polluting our waters, stealing our gold from irresponsible (sic).
“… that the president’s utterances of commitment to protect our lands from illegal mining, popularly called galamsey, is false. Indeed, in addition to borrowing irresponsibly to rid the sanity of our economy, they impudently are also destroying our lands, with government officials, brazenly taking active part in it,” he said.
The National Democratic Congress MP also said that there is evidence in their possession to this effect.
He also claimed that a lot of the activities of these government officials are destroying some of the nation’s forest reserves.
“We have reports of key government officials being key galamsey operators and involved in destroying land at forest reserves in many parts of this country,” he added.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has constantly assured the country that he is relentless in his pursuit to rid the country of illegal mining (galamsey), which has destroyed many lands and water bodies.
Source: ghanaweb.com
