The National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi says officials complicit in the missing excavators saga will face the law if his party comes into power.
At a press conference on the banks of River Pra at Twifo Praso in the Central Region on Sunday, Sammy Gyamfi said that the scandal should not be swept under the carpet.
He added that the NDC’s “incorruptible” flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama will rise to ensure that all persons involved in the suspicious disappearance of the seized equipment are brought to book.
“Nana Addo’s government is telling us the excavators are missing. But we will not believe this. If you seize the equipment of a licensed small scale miner and give it out to a party member or a foreigner to mine gold against the law do you think you will be forgiven? Time will definitely tell. If all the top officials who are complicit in destroying our water bodies through galamsey think they will go scot-free, they should remember that the right time will come.”
“The NPP government will not be in power forever. More importantly, John Dramani Mahama who does not condone corrupt and galamsey activities will soon become President. During his tenure, not even a single excavator, gun or an ounce of gold got missing. So he will ensure that all government officials will be made to face the full rigours of the law,” he added.
Accounting for the missing excavators
The party has also asked the government to account for all excavators and ammunition seized during the Stop Galamsey Campaign.
Citing figures in the 2020 budget presented in Parliament to support his claim, the NDC communicator insisted that the government seized 900 excavators during the campaign.
He therefore challenged the government to make a public presentation on the state of the items.
“The NDC demands that the Akufo Addo government as a matter of urgency should fully account for all items seized as listed in paragraphs 801 of the 2020 budget statement presented to the House of Parliament,” he exclaimed.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the press if you check paragraph 801, it says government at the time had seized 900 excavators, not 500. 500 caterpillars are missing but we were told 900 had been seized at paragraph 801 of the budget statement. Also, it is indicated there that a total of 2,079 weapons and ammunition have been seized from illegal miners and 4,045 other mining equipment confiscated from illegal miners have also been seized. We are demanding that the government holds a public exhibition of these seized excavators.”
Akufo-Addo unfit for UN SDGs Advocates role, revoke his appointment
The NDC also says it will in the coming days, petition the UN General-Secretary, António Guterres, to remove President Nana Akufo-Addo from his position as co-chair of the United Nations (UN) Eminent Group of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Advocates.
The NDC argues that President Akufo-Addo has failed the country in his promise to protect the environment and fight illegal mining in Ghana hence its decision to push for his removal from the UN SDGs role.
“We hereby serve notice, that the NDC shall in the coming days, petition the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, to revoke the appointment of President Akufo-Addo as Co-Chair of the SDG Advocates. Clearly, President Akufo-Addo has failed to show a genuine commitment to the fight against illegal mining and the protection of the environment in his own backyard.”
“His corrupt government has become an active enabler and promoter of the ‘galamsey’ menace and the destruction of the environment in a way that affronts the SDGs of the United Nations. He has proven to be unfit for the prestigious position of Co-Chair of the UN SDGs Advocates, for which reason he must be removed without delay. And, we are absolutely convinced beyond doubt, that the United Nations will act in the interest of the Ghanaian people, the international community and the environment,” he added.
