Dr. Ing. Kenneth Ashigbey, Convenor of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, has expressed deep concerns over President Akufo-Addo’s silence on illegal mining, also known as galamsey.
Despite numerous calls to declare a state of emergency, the President has remained mute, sparking worries about his commitment to addressing this environmental menace.
Dr. Ashigbey highlighted the stark contrast between President Akufo-Addo’s current stance and his bold anti-galamsey advocacy in 2017, where he put his presidency on the line.
In an interview on Channel One TV‘s Face to Face, Dr. Ashigbey urged President Akufo-Addo to demonstrate the same level of commitment he showed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Currently, the only person who can act is the commander-in-chief. It’s H.E President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who has to act.
“He demonstrated it during COVID-19, the fact that he rallied the country around, he made us sleep and everybody did it, we all saw the reason why we needed to do it, it was an emergency. The President needs to realise the fact that it’s the emergency that confronts us.
“It’s been painfully quiet, the loudness of his silence is deafening. He demonstrated it before, in 2017, when he said he was prepared to put his presidency on the line, even, we saw what happened to the turbidity of the water, it reduced. Maybe a month, declare a state of emergency, get the military people. He has the power and should be able to do it, there are no alternatives,” he told host Umaru Sanda Amadu.
Dr. Ing. Kenneth Ashigbey emphasized the need for bold action against those opposing Ghana’s well-being, stating that anyone not on the side of Ghanaians must be squarely confronted.
“As media people, we’re not playing devil’s advocates, we’re on the side of Ghana, anybody who is not on the side of Ghana is an enemy.”
