Media personality, Randy Abbey, has criticized the government for its failure to take action, specifically in arresting and prosecuting individuals involved in galamsey activities.

Speaking about the galamsey menace on the September 12, 2024, edition of Good Morning Ghana on Metro TV, Randy Abbey furiously described the government as ineffective and useless for failing to enforce the law regarding galamsey, despite having the power and security forces at their disposal.

This came after the Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Haruna Mohammed, accused the NDC and its members of promising and encouraging illegal miners to continue their destructive activities in order to gain power during the 2020 election.

Randy Abbey questioned why the police easily identify and arrest individuals who post illegal or criminal content on social media, yet fail to arrest opposition political leaders encouraging illegal miners to engage in a criminal act of galamsey.

“I see people post things on social media and they are picked up by the police because what they posted is seen as something illegal or criminal. It is only a useless government that is clothed with everything that will say that ‘I can pick and choose when to enforce the law’.

“I have given you examples of high-ranking politicians who are being prosecuted for perceived crimes, so, the issue of someone in the opposition encouraging people to engage in crime is not something to be said by the government,” he said.

According to him, he cannot understand how the government plans to rely on existing bodies to fight galamsey when, under the supervision of these same bodies, the problem has worsened, posing a greater danger to residents in mining areas.

“Did you see what has been done [galamsey] about 5 meters from the Accra-Kumasi highway? As at last week, that pit had not even been covered. All the things happening in Konongo Odumase, there is a REGSEC there and I have seen what is happening. I have seen the work done by Erastus and all the other people. A town is virtually hanging on stilts because there is ongoing mining there. Then government issues a statement to tell me that the same people who have superintended over this thing [galamsey] are those that government intends to rely on to enforce the law. How?,” he quizzed.

Watch the video below:

Only a useless gov't will do this - Vexed @abbeyrandy fumes at 'fight' against galamsey #GoodMorningGhana #MetroTV pic.twitter.com/CrqGPrT27c

— Metro TV Ghana (@metrotvgh) September 12, 2024