Set aside partisan interests, unite against galamsey – Afenyo-Markin

The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has urged all political actors to put aside partisan interests and work collectively to combat illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

He made the appeal while addressing Parliament on Tuesday, following 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,” he said.

Afenyo-Markin’s remarks came shortly after Speaker Alban Bagbin issued a formal communiqué expressing concern over the incident and highlighting the growing national alarm over environmental and social damage caused by illegal mining. He lamented that political expediency and electoral considerations have often undermined efforts to curb galamsey, emphasizing that leaders must prioritise national interest above party loyalty.

“We have failed as active stakeholders and political leaders in this galamsey fight, and it’s getting worse,” he stated, noting that politicisation has weakened enforcement and emboldened perpetrators.

The attack involved a mob confronting NAIMOS operatives, including military personnel, during a lawful operation in Hwidiem, Ahafo Region. Reports suggest that the Members of Parliament 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 in the Ashanti, Eastern, and Western Regions, contaminating rivers with mercury and lead, destroying forests, and rendering farmland infertile. Despite government interventions, including the establishment of NAIMOS and the Ghana Gold Board Bill, enforcement remains inconsistent.

Afenyo-Markin’s address served as a call for unity, urging political leaders, civil society groups, traditional authorities, and the media to collaborate in tackling galamsey. He warned that failure to act decisively could lead to irreversible environmental degradation and heightened social unrest.