By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has announced that Members of Parliament (MPs) caught engaging in illegal mining, known in Ghanaian parlance as galamsey, will face severe repercussions.
The Rt. Hon. Speaker gave the hint when addressing MPs on the floor of the House on Tuesday, January 28, 2025.
Mr. Bagbin’s comments come at a time when illegal mining continues to pose a threat to Ghana’s environment, particularly its water bodies and forests.
The Rt. Hon. Speaker, in his delivery, insisted that Parliament as an institution must take a firm and decisive stance against the growing galamsey threat, which, according to him, is causing widespread environmental devastation across the country.
The Rt. Hon. Speaker explained further that MPs, as leaders and representatives of the people, have a duty to set a positive example by upholding the law, rather than participating in activities that harm the nation’s environment.
He emphasised the gravity of the situation and urged all MPs to take personal responsibility and completely dissociate themselves from any involvement in galamsey operations.
“Honourable members, galamsey must be confronted head-on. If any of you happen to be involved in galamsey, please advise yourself. You must be prepared as a house to bite the bullet. We must lead and show the way. And please, if I get any information that any of you is involved in galamsey, we will start taking the necessary action from the House,” he reiterated.
