The Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business in Parliament has urged his colleagues to acknowledge the bold decision taken by the President to combat the menace of galamsey (illegal mining) in Ghana.
According to Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, the Member of Parliament for the Effutu Constituency, the President has reinforced the operational and tactical capacity of ‘Operation Halt’ by directing the Minister for Defence to deploy additional military personnel to intensify the ongoing efforts across the country.
“For the first time in this fight, logistics such as naval boats are to be deployed on water bodies to stop all legal and illegal mining activities,” the Majority Leader stated. He also revealed that “the President has directed the suspension of the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, 2023 (L.I. 2462) by the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI) alongside the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).”
Speaking at the fifth meeting of the fourth session of the eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, Afenyo-Markin emphasized that the fight against galamsey is a collective effort for the survival and sustainability of livelihoods in the country. He stressed, “Water is essential to our daily survival, and we must take measures to protect all water bodies in the country from pollution. As political leaders and actors, we must commit to this fight sincerely and avoid condemning it publicly while permitting it privately for political gain.”
He also praised the President’s call for a national pact on illegal mining, where all political party leaders would commit to a unified effort. “This pact will ensure we are all on the same page in the fight against galamsey, guaranteeing the protection of our water bodies, forest reserves, and the environment as a whole,” Afenyo-Markin said.
Despite the limited number of sittings scheduled for this meeting—about three weeks—the House will consider several important government business matters. These include the Environmental Protection Agency Bill, 2024; the Social Protection Bill, 2023; the Customs (Amendment) Bill, 2024; the Budget Bill, 2023; the Ghana Boundary Commission Bill, 2023; and the Intestate Succession Bill, 2022.
Additionally, a number of questions are pending, and various sector ministers are expected to appear before the House to address these issues before the recess.