The President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Dr. Joseph Obeng, has urged Ghanaians to avoid politicising the fight against illegal mining (galamsey), emphasising the need for unity and a non-political approach to addressing the menace.

According to him, the association believes that national interest should take precedence in dealing with the galamsey issue, rather than engaging in blame games.

Speaking in an interview with GhanaWeb Business, Dr. Obeng rallied the government and all stakeholders to focus on finding lasting solutions to the environmental and economic damage caused by galamsey.

“We must depoliticise the issues of galamsey as the menace is having a negative effect on our lives, water bodies, and the economy in general. As we join other groups and CSOs in condemning this issue, we must do so without politicization,” he said.

The GUTA president, however, mentioned that the association does not support calls for demonstrations, especially with just three months left before the general elections.

“This is because the fight against galamsey is not a short-term issue but a long-term one that will require a lot of time and effort to address. Hence, we urge against politicizing this galamsey menace,” Dr. Obeng said.

Amid growing calls to curb rampant illegal small-scale mining activities across the country, many organisations have urged the government to take immediate action to stop the menace known as “galamsey.”

This comes after alarming reports that the Ghana Water Limited has had to reduce its clean water supply by 75%. This reduction has already impacted hundreds of thousands of residents along Ghana’s southern coast, raising concerns about further damage to water bodies and the environment.