Senyo Hosi: Ghana missed its chance to end galamsey under Akufo-Addo
Ghana lost a critical opportunity to decisively tackle illegal small-scale mining during the first term of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Convenor of the One Ghana Movement, Senyo Hosi, has argued.
Former Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's first term presented an opportunity to effectively combat illegal small-scale mining, known as galamsey, according to Senyo Hosi, a prominent critic of the government's approach. Hosi contends that Ghana missed a crucial chance to fully address the galamsey issue during that period.
He explained that an initial crackdown on galamsey disrupted the sector significantly, but subsequent governments allowed political and economic concerns to undermine these efforts. The former One Ghana Movement leader asserts that this retreat from the original strategy has made it more challenging for Ghana to confront the galamsey menace now.
Speaking to Channel One TV, Hosi recalled Akufo-Addo's pledge to tackle galamsey but noted that the government ultimately abandoned this commitment, leading to the current situation. He emphasized that political considerations, particularly the 2020 general election, influenced the government's decision to scale back its original measures.
Hosi further stated that the galamsey problem has become deeply entrenched in local economies, with many communities relying on illegal mining for their livelihoods due to youth unemployment and underemployment. This economic dependence has made it politically difficult for governments to implement the stringent measures Hosi believes are necessary to tackle galamsey effectively.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
