Miners Threaten To Vote Against NDC

Some members of Small-Scale Miners Association, have threatened to vote against the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the December polls, for pushing calls to impose total ban on legal and responsible small-scale mining.

According to the miners, the demand from the NDC stalwarts on the raging debate is unfair and must not go unpunished, especially going into the polls, given thousands of citizens who draw their livelihoods from the small-scale mining sector.

The threat by the group, follows proposal by the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and former Greater Accra Regional Chairman, Joseph Ade-Coker, calling for a 5-years ban on all forms of mining in the country.

The NDC bigshots on a separate platform, said imposing a 5-year ban on all forms of small scale mining through legislation under a certificate of urgency, is the only option to curb illegal mining menace, otherwise called galamsey.

“Impose a 5-year ban on all forms of small-scale mining through legislation under a certificate of urgency.

Agree on a roadmap to ensure that after the 5-year environmental recovery ban on small scale mining, there should be established a state-owned company to be solely responsible for small scale mining. Small scale mining by private companies should be proscribed,” Mr Ablakwa stated in a 15-point proposal posted on his social media page on Wednesday, October 2.

Mr Ade-Coker on the other hand in an interview on Angel FM also said, “the bottom line is that Gold digging must be banned in Ghana, I still insist that for the next five years, no digging of Gold. We have to ban it. Go to Rwanda, they have banned Gold mining”.

But this did not go well with the miners, stating that the NDC, has failed to consider the livelihood of their members involved in the small scale mining business, including Ms Joana Gyan Cudjoe, the party’s parliamentary candidate for Amenfi Central constituency.

Speaking at an event in Kumasi, leadership of the Association, argued that, Okudzeto Ablakwa and his party, failed to recognize the significant contributions responsible small scale mining has made to the Ghanaian economy, despite the bad nuts among them.

Citing page 78, item 16 of the NDC manifesto, the miners stated that, the promise by the party to cancel all Community Mining Schemes, show the NDC’s agenda to collapse the sector, hence should not be given the chance for power.

They said at the time the Association is calling on the government to engage in dialogue with Organised Labour to find lasting and sustainable solutions to the issue, it is unfortunate the NDC’s option is a ban, without thinking about job losses.

Meanwhile, the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM) has appealed to Organised Labour, to reconsider its planned nationwide strike scheduled for October 10, 2024.

At a press conference held in Kumasi, General Secretary, Mr Godwin Armah, called on the government to engage in dialogue with Organised Labour to find lasting and sustainable solutions to the issue.

He emphasized the need for a non-partisan approach to tackling illegal mining activities, advocating for a bipartisan effort to combat the environmental threat posed by illegal mining.

Mr Armah, also highlighted the Association’s commitment to deploying its task force to arrest illegal miners, particularly those polluting water bodies and operating close to highways.

Additionally, he urged the government to reconsider granting mining licenses for operations in forest reserves, stressing the need for more responsible management of Ghana’s natural resources.

Source: Anchorghana.com