Convener of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, has called on journalists to prioritise continuous action by the government concerning its promises made regarding the fight against galamsey activities, channel1news.com has reported.

He advised journalists to ensure that Members of Parliament (MPs) and parliamentary candidates make a binding agreement to the government’s recent promises.

“Another important thing that we (media) need to start doing is that these parliamentary candidates in these communities, we need to make sure that these minimum things that the government has said, they are also signed onto it, all of them, including the current members of parliament,” he stated.

Dr. Ashigbey said this during an interview on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on October 9, 2024.

He specifically urged Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to take a firm stance against illegal mining.

Dr. Ashigbey advised journalists to ensure that the NPP and NDC commit to upholding the promises made by the government since the 2024 general elections is a close contest between both parties.

“And also the presidential candidates, especially of the NDC and NPP, they need to sign onto it. Because post-January 7, 2025, one of them will be president and it has to continue, so, as we push, we should push for additional things to be done,” he said.

Kenneth Ashigbey’s call stems from the suspension of a nationwide strike by Organised Labour, which was slated for October 10, 2024, in light of the government's outlined measures to address the situation.

He highlighted the critical role of the media in monitoring and tracking the recent efforts made by President Akufo-Addo in fighting illegal mining activities, which have caused severe damage to our environment and water bodies.

He said, “A lot more timelines must be put on the things that have been said are going to be done and also demand reports… It’s important we keep doing that.”


RAD/KA



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