A prominent member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, widely known as Chairman Coka, has called on the President of Ghana to issue a public apology to Ghanaians for politicising the fight against illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey, while in opposition.
According to Coka, an apology would be the first step toward rebuilding trust and creating a united front to tackle the issue. He believes that following this, the President should establish a bipartisan committee to help develop a sustainable and effective solution to the illegal mining crisis.
Reflecting on the first 100 days of the current administration, Chairman Coka expressed concern that the situation has worsened rather than improved, highlighting what he sees as the government’s failure to take control of the galamsey problem.
He also appealed to civil society organisations, associations, and other key stakeholders to lend their voices and support in the national effort to combat illegal mining and protect Ghana’s environment.
“Mr President, Yesterday, I also wept when I saw the minister weeping because we are in a country where we do politics with every issue. I once said galamsey should not be an issue for one political party to deal with, but it should be an issue for all political parties and any right-thinking Ghanaian, but at that time, NDC people were calling for a state of emergency in the mining communities. They asked the NPP government to show leadership.
Mr President, our river bodies keep getting worse and a lot of strange diseases are killing our people in the mining areas. So, Mr President, just come out and apologize to Ghanaians and call for a bipartisan committee to find a lasting solution to the galamsey menace. It is over 100 days now and it is getting worse. Help say no to galamsey. Christian council, NUGS, GJA, GBA, CSOs and others, your silence is not helping our country. My advice. His opinion expressed via his verified Facebook page.
