Kwaku Asante-Boateng, the Member of Parliament for Asante Akim South, has revealed that the government’s hesitation to tackle galamsey, or illegal mining, stems from fear of losing the upcoming December 7 elections.
He believes that the New Patriotic Party’s strong anti-galamsey stance in 2020 led to losses in mining communities.
Asante-Boateng, who is also the Deputy Minister for Railway Development, suggests that this fear of electoral consequences is not unique to the NPP, but a concern for any political party operating in regions where galamsey is prevalent.
He defends the government’s cautious approach, citing the political reality of vote loss.
This revelation comes at a critical time, as Asante-Boateng seeks re-election in the 2024 general elections. He has been the MP for Asante Akim South since 2012 and is confident of retaining his seat.
However, his contender, Bice Osei-Kuffour, alias Obour, hopes to unseat him, emphasizing the need for change and job creation for the youth.
The issue of galamsey has been a contentious one in Ghana, with many calling for a total ban on all forms of mining. However, the government’s reluctance to take drastic action may be influenced by the potential electoral repercussions, as highlighted by Asante-Boateng
“We did it as a party and as a government before the 2020 elections. And if you can recount, all our seats in the mining communities that we were trying to control, we lost all the seats, the parliamentary seats there.
“So do you think for the second time, if we say we want to break the 8 and people are crying for that ban, the current government will have the guts or will find it necessary to put a ban on it?
“The fear of losing power [is delaying the ban] and that fear can happen to any party at all.
Baina Multimedia/Khadijahtu Kubura Kailani
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