Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale North Constituency, Alhaji Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini has noted that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is now a critical murder weapon in a crime scene called Ghana that has to be critically examined.

He observes that illegal mining, also known as galamsey and the issue of fighting against the menace in Ghana is one of the biggest threats to the existence of the country.

The former broadcast journalist who was speaking on the floor of Parliament, said instead of defeating galamsey, the government has turned the fight into a flagship of corruption which has benefited appointees and other influence peddlers in the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

“The widely circulated tape that, to wit party wants money, which was a recording of the Minister at the time are all references that one can use to actually affirm the point that the charade to fight galamsey was really just a flagship for corruption"

Mr. Speaker, we are told that the inter-ministerial committee was allocated thirty million dollars for every quarter, and they operated for three quarters. After their work, all we have is that galamsey has become worse and excavators have flown into the thin air. Mr. Speaker, one time the Ministry blew 5.5 million Cedis on just touring and interacting with people on how to deal with galamsey. Another time one workshop, meeting to discuss cost the country 2.1 million Cedis. I agree with the Chairman that it is disappointing that in the 39-page budget statement that the Finance Minister printed, not even one mention was made of galamsey,” he said.

“Mr. Speaker having raped our environment and tax in the name of fighting galamsey, they have now shifted their attention to the Minerals Income Investment Fund. Mr. Speaker after the good people of Ghana rose to save the funds that they initially wanted to use for the Agyapa Transaction, they have craftily used the name small-scale miners’ incubators scheme supposedly aimed at building the capacity and helping small-scale miners unearth their potential"

"They cooked this scheme and allocated 100 million dollars to their small-scale miners who perhaps are no longer getting enough gold from their illegal concessions. They have already been shortlisted and piloted even before parliament considers this proposal,” he added.