John Mahama’s galamsey politics makes him Ghana’s enemy – Deputy Minister

Mr Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, Deputy Minister of Trade and Member of Parliament for Tema West, has branded former President John Mahama as an enemy of the state.

He said the former President’s words at Kumasi were indicative that he would  re-institute illegal mining if he was voted into power in 2020.

Mr Ahenkorah who was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in reaction to former President Mahama’s Galamsey statement in Kumasi said his rhetoric undermined the serious efforts that the Akufo-Addo government, in collaboration with the media, were making to end the canker that was threatening Ghana with water scarcity.

“We are told that in the next couple of decades, Ghana will be constrained to import water from abroad if she does not put in place effective measures to end this illegal mining canker that has destroyed most of our water bodies. How can anybody, who aspires to rule this country advocate a thing that will certainly lead to such a tragedy?

Over the weekend, former President Mahama, who is eyeing the Presidency again used the platform of his party’s Unity Walk in Kumasi to woo illegal miners who President Akufo-Addo had put out of business in defence of Ghana’s fast depleting land and water resources.

“They deceived you into voting for them. Now that they have power, they tell you, you don’t deserve to eat anymore and have starved you of your livelihood. All you need to do is to vote them out of office in 2020, and I promise you that you will go back to work. Bring back NDC to power and you will go back to do your mining.” 

The statement has since invoked a furore of condemnation with many pouring scorn on Mahama for what is seen as very traitorous comments.

“Beyond the condemnation, I think the media should blacklist Mahama because this dirty politicking is an attack on dedicated effort that the media has put in to fight the galamsey canker,” Mr Carlos Ahenkorah said.

He pointed out that the anti-galamsey fight was very much the brainchild of the media as much as the Akufo-Addo government since it was the media, through the ‘Media Coalition Against Galamsey’.

Source: GNA