The Member of Parliament for Effiduase-Asokore in the Ashanti Region, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye, has clarified that his comments regarding small-scale mining were misreported by the media.
This clarification comes after a video from a campaign event on Friday, September 27, suggested that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government would not address the issue of illegal mining, or galamsey.
Dr. Afriye’s remarks were met with strong criticism, especially from groups advocating for stronger government action against illegal small-scale mining due to its damaging environmental effects.
During an interview on Eyewitness News on Monday, September 30, Dr. Afriye responded to the backlash, stating that his comments had been taken out of context and that the viral video did not reflect his full statement.
“As I speak, I still stand by the basic principle that there is both irresponsible and responsible small-scale mining. Banning small-scale mining entirely is not fair,” he explained.
He added, “In the southern belt, along the coast, and in river bodies like the Volta Lake, there are irresponsible fishing practices, but does that mean we should ban all fishing because of the illegal ones? The state is after the illegal miners, not the responsible ones.”
Meanwhile, organized labour is set to meet on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, to decide on a possible nationwide strike or demonstration after the government failed to meet their demand to ban all forms of small-scale mining as a measure to combat galamsey.
