Nana Ayew Afriye, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Effiduase/Asokore in the Ashanti Region, has accused the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of orchestrating the destruction of river bodies across the country to disrupt the political landscape.

According to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) legislator, the NDC is allegedly importing foreign nationals to engage in illegal mining activities, commonly referred to as "galamsey on river bodies," in a bid to destabilize areas known for their strong pro-NPP sentiments.

His assertions come on the back of a viral video depicting the arrest of some foreigners who were said to have been engaged in illegal mining activities and subsequently apprehended by some residents at a site.

Speaking at a campaign event in a video shared by GHOne TV, the MP claimed that the NDC’s actions are motivated by fears that the NPP will secure a victory in constituencies affected by illegal mining activities.

"God has placed us as number one because He wants us to win. The voice of the people is the voice of God. God speaks through us.

"And the research that was done as of last week shows that if voting were to happen, NPP would gain 18 more seats. That is why they have risen up in Accra to bring confusion. But no matter what, the elections will happen.

"Small-scale mining is different from what the Togolese and Burkinabes that the NDC has imported into the country to mine,” he said.

Nana Ayew Afriye further emphasised that the NPP is committed to tackling the problem, stating that efforts are underway to stop illegal mining on water bodies while allowing legitimate small-scale miners to operate.

He distinguished between local miners and what he described as foreign operatives allegedly brought into the country by the NDC. "Small-scale mining is different from what the Togolese and Burkinabes the NDC has imported to mine.

"But we are going after them. The operation that we started this week, we will make sure that we get such people. They saw that we were winning the seats in the mining areas, so they decided to go and import foreigners to mine on our river bodies. Has water become a problem?

“Is it not just this one month? Someone is behind all this just to make us stop the galamseyers and lose our seats, but we will not stop them today or tomorrow. What we will stop is those mining on the river bodies,” he added.

Nana Ayew Afriye also warned against attempts by opposition forces to create confusion ahead of the elections, reiterating that the NPP would not be deterred from its fight against illegal mining.

In recent weeks, the fight against galamsey has intensified, with growing calls from citizens for the government to take decisive action. Various groups, including Democracy Hub, have led protests to demand an end to illegal mining activities, with some demonstrators facing legal consequences for their actions.

We won't stop people who indulge in galamsey today, and we won't stop them tomorrow. There's a difference between mining in the forest and mining in waterbodies... - Ayew Afriye (MP, Effiduase/Asokore) #GHOneNews #EIBNetwork #NPP #GHOneTV #ElectionHub #NDC #StopGalamseyNow… pic.twitter.com/cE9YhaqmGf

— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) September 27, 2024