Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) UK Branch, Mr. Kingsley Adumattah Agyapong, popularly known as Wofa K, has disclosed that people are engaging in galamsey mainly because of hunger, poverty, and desperation.
Ghana’s struggle with illegal mining, known as galamsey, has ravaged the country’s natural beauty and posed significant ecological threats. Despite efforts to combat it, the practice persists, with approximately 200,000 people directly engaged and nearly 3 million relying on it for their livelihoods.
According to Wofa K, Ghana is blessed with lots of natural resources, but it appears that these resources like gold and other minerals have become a curse to Ghana instead of a blessing as compared to other countries.
In an exclusive interview on the Oyerepa Breakfast Show Wednesday morning with Nana Yaw Mensah Joel, Wofa K attributed the persistence of galamsey to hunger, poverty, and desperation, emphasizing that Ghana’s abundant natural resources, like gold and minerals, have become a curse rather than a blessing.
He explained that the NPP government under President Akuffo Addo has fought hard to combat illegal mining but still believes that addressing the underlying issues of hunger and poverty is crucial to stopping galamsey.
“Most people you see doing galamsey are mainly because of hunger, poverty, and desperation, which means that we can also stop not necessarily stopping mining but putting a stop to illegal mining particularly,” he stated.
However, he stressed that the real perpetrators of galamsey are not the small-scale miners on the ground, but rather the high-level individuals with concessions who orchestrate and profit from the illegal activities.
“The people you see on the field doing galamsey are not the criminals, but rather the gurus with power are the criminals,” he added.
Meanwhile, to effectively curb the menace, Wofa K suggested that the government implement proper measures to address the root causes of galamsey putting an end to illegal mining and restore Ghana’s natural beauty.
Adding that it is time for the government to take a nuanced approach to addressing the complex issue of galamsey, one that targets the true culprits and provides sustainable solutions for those affected.
Source: oyerepafmonline.com/Freduah Agyemang Derrick
