The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has contended that the persisting issue of illegal mining in the country is a result of a lack of integrity in leadership that has spanned several years.
Mr Ablakwa argued that successive governments have lacked the necessary political will to effectively address the illegal mining menace, allowing galamsey activities to thrive.
During an appearance on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, he emphasized that the problem is rooted in the deliberate negligence of the situation by governments, leading to its current uncontrollable state.
“The galamsey matter let’s be honest, it is just a reflection of the lack of integrity in leadership, that’s it, that’s what it is, lack of integrity. So there’s no sincerity, there’s a lot of pretense, we don’t need a new law, we don’t need to know who to report to. There’s no inch of land, no space in our country that is not under political control,” he said.
Mr Ablakwa asserted that sincerity is lacking, and there has been a pretense in dealing with the issue.
He emphasized that there is no need for new laws or identifying whom to report to, as every part of the country is under political control.
Furthermore, he highlighted the exacerbation of the situation due to the active involvement of illegal miners in the country’s politics.
Mr Ablakwa called for stronger leadership to confront party members engaged in illegal mining activities.
“We all know the galamseyers, they’ve come to collect party cards, they’ve come for top positions, and leaders cannot tell them in the face that stop it, we’re going to arrest you, we’re going to prosecute you. So it’s failed leadership, no integrity. Let’s call it what it is,” he stated.