The Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem North, Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi, has insisted that no mining company will be allowed into his constituency to destroy forest reserves and pollute water bodies.
The lawmaker says he and the chiefs in his community have fought against illegal mining over the years, vowing to stop every form of activity that will put the lives of his constituents in danger.
According to him, the Minerals Commission can grant permit to whoever they wish to mine anywhere in the country, but not in the Asante Akyem North enclave.
The legislator, who has consistently said he has prevented galamsey from his communities with the support of his chiefs, reiterated to the Commission whilst speaking at Media General’s Anti-galamsey forum on the theme; The Galamsey Fight, Beyond the Talk, What Next?, that with a united front, every community can stand against galamsey just as it has happened in his area.
“You can give the certificates in Accra and show them where they can mine but definitely not in my area. The power of the community is powerful than one single individual,” he stated.
The legislator disclosed that there has been an instance where he had to cross over his jurisdiction to fight galamsey due to the far reaching implications the act would have had on his community.
“I’ve crossed a jurisdiction to fight illegal miners because the water they were polluting was what serves all of us in the area,” he stated.
The MP added that the illegal mining menace is a national issue that endangers an entire community and should not be limited to politics.
“Community is at risk, society is at risk, this should go beyond politics. If someone has not performed, that person has not performed in his capacity not because he is a politician,” he added.
The fight against galamsey has been abandoned by the government leaving citizens to stage a protest to draw the government’s mind on the menace which has caused widespread environmental destruction in the country.
Civil advocacy group Democracy Hub, organised a three-day protest against the government which escalated into a clash with the police leading to the arrest of protestors, including a minor, 10-year-old, amid growing unrest over illegal mining and economic hardship.
Many have criticised the police for the manner with which they handled the protestors, with private legal practitioner, Martin Luther Kpebu, calling for the resignation of the IGP.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Ghana Police Service, Grace Ansah-Akrofi, indicated after the arrests that, the police picked up the demonstrators because their assembly was unlawful, and the officers’ attempt to maintain order caused the clash between them.
“The demonstrators engaged in acts of lawlessness, damaging state property and obstructing traffic,” Ansah-Akrofi told the media, adding that “they disrupted the peace. Those responsible will face justice.”
Meanwhile, the suspects have been detained into custody for two more weeks, something many have condemned and described as out of place.
