The minority leader, Alexander Afenyo Markin has accused the John Mahama government of promoting galamsey with Goldbod.
The NDC in their manifesto ahead of the December 7, 2024 elections promised to establish the GoldBod to regulate the small-scale mining sector.
According to Afenyo-Markin, the Mahama government with the Goldbod is going to pay galamseyers to destroy Ghana’s river bodies.
The minority leader further claimed that the Mahama government giving is GHS4.6 billion to small-scale miners who every Ghanaian know are galamsey operators.
Speaking in a press conference, Alexander Afenyo Markin stated, “Galamsey became a major issue during the elections, our friends who have the reigns of government now, made some promises to the nation, today they are now the apostles who are promoting galamsey. They are using their numbers to now establish what has become known as a galamsey board.
Now this galamsey board, from what transpired on the floor, the government instead of investing in Agriculture, the government instead of investing in the women banking, government instead of investing in the 24-hour economy policy that it used for the elections is rather giving 4.6 billion cedis to galamsey operators”, he added.
He continued, “If you bring an enactment your focus is on small-scale mining all of us in this country know small-scale-mining is galamsey, so, the question is this government really ready to fight galamsey?
How do you say you are establishing a new entity that is going to monopolize the purchase of gold, from small-scale miners otherwise known as galamseyers, and now you are going to regulate galamsey and you are going to give them money?”, he asked.
Afenyo Markin further added, “Now the government is saying he is going to give money to galamseyers to help them, what is going on in Ghana, are rivers are being destroyed and everyone is speaking about it, If you remember they went to one of the rivers to hold a press conference saying our water bodies have changed colour.
Under reset, they have rather giving 4.6 billion cedis to galamseyers to go and destroy our waters. We told you something with time, the true colours of this NDC will be known, I think today you have all seen them, but let us assure you we the mighty minority will continue to be constructive in our criticism, and we will hold their feet to the fire”, he emphatically added.
Meanwhile, the Parliament of Ghana on Friday, March 28, 2025, passed the Ghana Gold Board Bill 2025 by a majority vote.
The passage occurred without the participation of Minority MPs, who boycotted the proceedings in protest. Their walkout was in response to First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor’s refusal to grant their request to reconvene on Saturday, March 29, at 10 a.m. to further deliberate on the bill after the approval of the 2025 Appropriation Bill.
The bill aims to regulate the gold industry, enhance transparency and traceability, and boost foreign exchange earnings. It establishes the Gold Board to oversee the purchase, sale, and export of gold, generating revenue to help stabilize the cedi.
Watch the video below:
Establishment of GoldBod: Mahama gov’t promoting galamsey with GoldBod; the Goldbod is Galamsey Board – Minority Leader alleges #NoToGalamsey pic.twitter.com/c33hdg4ZNJ
— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) March 28, 2025
