Let's honour plane crash victims by ending galamsey — Dr Arthur Kennedy
A member of the opposition New Patriotic Party ( NPP), Dr Arthur Kobina Kennedy, has called for a bipartisan effort to combat illegal mining popularly known as galamsey in the country.
That, he explained, was the best way to honour the memory of the eight Ghanaians who lost their lives in the helicopter crash tragedy.
"The sincerest and most lasting tribute we can pay to those who died is to wage a bipartisan, successful war on galamsey and end it," he stated.
The US-based Ghanaian medical doctor and the 2007 flagbearer aspirant of the NPP’s plea comes amid growing concerns about the devastating impact of galamsey on the country’s environment, economy and public health.
Approach
In an article for the Daily Graphic, Dr Kennedy explained that his call for a bipartisan approach to tackling galamsey reflects his commitment to finding solutions that transcend party lines and prioritise the well-being of Ghanaians.
He said he had previously warned that galamsey posed an existential threat to the nation's survival, citing the government's failure to take decisive action against it."
Religious prophecies
In addition to his call to action on galamsey, Dr Kennedy criticised the government's directive requiring religious prophecies to be submitted for validation, describing it as "ill-conceived" and exposing the country to global ridicule.
He also raised questions about the investigation into the helicopter crash, including the age and maintenance history of the ill-fated helicopter.
He said the President's announcement that the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has initiated an investigation and that there is also an investigation board to investigate the crash was confusing.
"Where does the GAF inquiry end and that of the Board of Inquiry begin?
Can GAF transparently investigate itself?
What are the terms of reference of the board?
Who are its members? he questioned.
"As usual, there have been many rumours surrounding the crash, our air safety procedures, how we acquire and maintain Presidential and airforce aircraft and their use.”
"These rumours dredged up old remarks by our two past Defence Ministers on Presidential aircraft and their maintenance," he said.
Dr Kennedy further posed several questions: how old was the ill-fated Z-9?
When was the last time it went for scheduled maintenance?
Was the plane ever lost by radar?
What are the problems with the Presidential jet?
Partisanship
Dr Kennedy also bemoaned how the discussion of the tragedy took on partisan overtones, saying it underlined, once again, the unfortunate trend of party leaders taking their cues from footsoldiers and serial callers instead of leading them.
That, he said, had resulted in the increased violence in by-elections and the prevalence of impunity in the country's politics.
