We need honest collaboration between political parties to combat illegal mining – Kwadwo Poku

Evalue Ajomoro Gwira, Upper West Denkyira, Amenfi Central and Prestea Huni Valley are the four Parliamentary seats the New Patriotic Party (NPP) lost in the 2020 elections due to the total ban on all forms of small scale mining in the fight, which was targeted at fishing out illegal miners (galamsey), Kwadwo Nsafoah Poku, an energy expert has said.

According to him the ban President Akufo-Addo imposed in 2017 on small-scale mining was a key factor in the NPP’s loss of those seats.

Speaking on TV3 on Monday, [October 7, 2024], Mr Poku explained that the ban had significant political consequences in constituencies where many people depended on small-scale mining for their livelihoods.

This is why he is calling for honest collaboration between political parties to effectively combat illegal mining.

“He who comes to equity must come with clean hands. If we truly want to fight galamsey, we need partners who are honest about their intentions. You can’t fight galamsey in Accra and then support it in the constituencies,” he added.

“The first act of the Nana Addo’s government in 2017 was to ban small-scale mining, both legal and illegal, for almost two years,” Mr. Poku stated. 

He said the ban was to help reduce the environmental damage caused by illegal mining (galamsey), but it also triggered economic hardships in mining communities, leading to widespread criticism.

Mr. Poku said at Evalue Ajomoro Gwira, Upper West Denkyira, Amenfi Central and Prestea Huni Valley constituencies, NDC candidates promised to allow galamsey to go ahead, if they were elected and that was why NPP lost those seats. 

He argued that this undermined the government’s efforts to curb illegal mining and contributed to the NPP’s losses in these areas.

He further noted how, in the lead-up to the 2020 elections, NDC candidates in these constituencies successfully turned voters against the NPP by focusing on the mining issue.

“In Ejura, for example, galamsey operators were reportedly offering voters GH¢1,000 each [as enticement for people] to vote against the NPP,” Mr Poku alleged.

He expressed disappointment over the NPP’s loss in those key mining constituencies, which had historically been NPP strongholds. “Upper West Denkyira had never voted for the NDC until 2020,” he noted.

Mr. Poku also mentioned that Operation Vanguard, a military-police task force set up by the government to combat illegal mining, faced resistance in these communities, further contributing to the growing resentment toward the NPP.

He accused the NDC of taking a double stance on illegal mining. “While the national leadership of the NDC often spoke out against galamsey, their parliamentary candidates in mining areas campaigned on promises to relax the restrictions. You can’t condemn illegal mining on national television in Accra and then go back to constituencies and encourage it to win votes,” Mr Poku said.

He emphasised the need to distinguish between responsible small-scale mining and illegal activities, arguing that not all mining should be labelled as galamsey. “There are legal, responsible mining operations that people rely on for their livelihoods. We need to be clear about the difference between these and the illegal activities that are destroying our rivers,” he added.