The Executive Director of Ghana Integrity Initiative Vitus Azeem has indicated that Ghana has no hope of winning the fight against illegal mining
Mr. Azeem’s statements come on the heels of recent revelations made by Former Environment, Science and Technology Minister, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng concerning top government officials and their involvement in illegal mining popularly known as ‘galamsey’.
Mr. Azeem stated that Ghanaians being made to believe that government is interested in fighting illegal mining have been made to conform to a ruse which includes the various committees that have been initiated to join the fight against illegal mining in Ghana. “We set up committees to work and we don’t give them a free hand to work; we are more or less deceiving ourselves and deceiving the Ghanaian public that we are interested in fighting galamsey but there’s no commitment.” he explained.
In an interview on Happy 98.9FM’s Epa Hoa Daben, he mentioned that Ghana as a state may not be able to move forward in its quest for development if measures are not put in place by the president to check top government officials.
“Clearly, we are not committed to fighting against illegal mining, if we are not going to put in any effort we would not succeed; those who are supposed to ensure we succeed are not interested in getting it done. They are probably benefiting from it, and they don’t see the need and they do not see the negative effects of it. As far as they are benefiting, then it’s okay for them.” He added that the state has no way forward presently in this fight against galamsey.
By: Kobina Badu Baidoo
