The Executive Director of the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Dr Rasheed Draman, has warned that Parliament and government risk failing Ghanaians if the upcoming sitting does not produce concrete action to tackle illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Speaking ahead of the reconvening of the Ninth Parliament on Channel One Newsroom, Dr Draman described galamsey as Ghana’s most pressing national challenge, warning that its environmental and social impact continues to threaten the country’s future.
He said Parliament, government and other state institutions could no longer afford to treat the issue as routine, stressing that urgent and practical interventions were needed to curb the menace.
According to him, the new parliamentary sitting presents another opportunity for lawmakers to demonstrate seriousness in confronting illegal mining and safeguarding the country’s natural resources.
“One key issue that Parliament, government and state apparatus has failed Ghanaians is the issue of galamsey. We cannot take our eyes off this issue. It is an existential issue and if we don’t take care we are all going to be consumed by the devastating outcomes that are already engulfing all of us,” he said.
Dr Draman further argued that failure by Parliament to prioritise the issue during the new sitting would amount to a failure of leadership and governance.
“Again like I called on Parliament the last time before the first meeting, I am still calling on Parliament to solve our problems. There is no one problem that is of a major concern in this country at the moment than galamsey. If that matter is not dealt with, we might as well say government has failed and Parliament has failed,” he added.
He therefore called on Parliament to use the session to intensify oversight, strengthen enforcement efforts and ensure greater accountability in the fight against illegal mining.
