Debate on illegal mining activities: …Majority leader appeals to citizenry

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Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin

The Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has called for the depoliticisation of the fight against illegal mining popularly known as galamsey.

“I am saddened by what is happening. It is very sad. As a country, we have to know when to do partisan politics and when to act in the national interest,” he said on the floor of Parliament in Accra on Tuesday.

Mr Afenyo-Markin was responding to concerns of his colleagues on recent reports of illegal mining when he presented the business statement to the House for the two-day extraordinary session which ended on Wednesday.

The concerns of the MPs stem from the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL)’s attribution of water crisis in the Central Region to galamsey which has left the Pra River heavily polluted.

“About 60 per cent of the catchment capacity is silted as a result of galamsey, compromising the quality of raw water. We are currently recording an average turbidity of 14,000 NTU instead of 2000 NTU designed for adequate treatment,” the GWCL said in a statement on August 30.

Warning that the country was headed for national water crisis in the nearest future, the Majority Leader said the politicisation of the fight against the menace which has seen water bodies polluted, fertile lands degraded and forests depleted, would only exacerbate the current situation.

“It may not even be up to three years for Ghana to start importing water,” Mr Afenyo-Markin, a former Board Chairman of the GWCL, warned.

A national approach, he said, was needed to nib the situation in the bud and avoid the unpleasant situation of importing water or relying on sea water for drinking and other domestic chores.

“I am happy that today we are talking about it on the floor of parliament and we must not have it on partisan lines. When the effects of galamsey is having its toll, it will not identify who is NDC or NPP. I will want to urge all of us to pursue this matter (with a national approach). We (should not continue) to play politics with this”.

Mr Afenyo-Markin said the political class must show leadership and lead the nation in finding lasting solution than being divided to take undue political advantage of the situation.

“We appear as politicians, when it’s national issues, we pretend we don’t know. Let us get more serious as a political class and ensure our relevance. This is a serious matter.

“As a House, we should all take this up seriously because whatever it is, it will be a cost on the national purse,” he said.

Should the menace continue and the country is hit with the dreaded reality of a water shortage, he said the country would be left with no choice than to fall on desalination of sea water for consumption; a cost the state can’t bear.

He wondered how that would be sustainable as the country is unable to fund the operations of the Teshie desalination water project which serves less than half a million people.

“It is a serious matter, Mr Speaker. Are we now going to process sea water to drink? It is very expensive and will cost the nation,” he stated.

BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI