President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe has criticised Former President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his poor handling of illegal mining, describing his efforts as nonchalant and dismissive.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, January 25, Franklin Cudjoe asserted that Akufo-Addo’s administration turned a blind eye to the environmental devastation caused by galamsey in pursuit of economic gain.
He accused Akufo-Addo of failing to take decisive action against illegal mining, which he said has wreaked havoc on Ghana’s forests and rivers.
He suggested that the former president’s leadership style reflected an indifference to the ecological and social consequences of galamsey activities.
“Not long ago, we saw what the former president did. He was just nonchalant about the whole idea of galamsey. He was not ready to call anybody to order,” Cudjoe remarked.
Cudjoe expressed frustration at what he said is the seeming lack of accountability and urgency in tackling illegal mining, noting that the inaction contributed to significant environmental destruction.
“He [Akufo-Addo] was not ready to call anybody to order. And all these acts tell people that our leaders are not responsible.”
“How do you allow these things to go on and people somehow said it was an opportunity to shore up the Cedi otherwise it would have gone up to GH¢25 to the dollar. They turned a blind eye to an ecological suicide.”
Illegal mining in Ghana has caused widespread deforestation, polluted water bodies, and destroyed ecosystems critical to the country’s environmental health.
Rivers such as the Pra, Ankobra and Birim have been contaminated with heavy metals like mercury, rendering them unsafe for human consumption and agricultural use.
The destruction has extended to vast stretches of forest cover, with illegal miners clearing large areas for mining operations.
The resulting land degradation has made it nearly impossible to restore affected areas, exacerbating the challenges of climate change and food insecurity.
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