Yaw Buaben Asamoa
The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) yesterday charged at the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for politicizing the subject of illegal mining, aka ‘galamsey’, an anomaly which it blamed the opposition party for creating during its long tenure.
During a press conference yesterday, the party said ‘galamsey’, which is about the country’s lifeline, was being addressed through a clearly spelt out policy whose dividends were being realized.
Petty Politics
Yaw Buaben Asamoa, the NPP Director of Communications, who addressed the press conference, described as unfortunate the opposition NDC leadership’s preference for petty politics which, as he put it, would rather “deal in politics that divides us rather than the things that unite us.”
The NDC members, he said, characteristic of them, had reduced the major policy issues to blaming the President, screaming loudly that whatever initiative was at stake had failed and demanding the votes of the people.
Clean Water
Emphasising the importance of clean water against the backdrop of how illegal mining is polluting water bodies in the country, he said “not winning the fight for clean water is not an option. It is not an option because clean water and clean rivers are the lifeblood of this country, especially for our farmers.”
Mahama & NDC
Former President Mahama and the NDC, he said, were part of the problem, not the solution of the ‘galamsey’ challenge facing the country, adding that the “major deterioration in the quality of water due to galamsey began during their term in office but they did nothing to protect the situation.”
Major Fix
The major fix to the fallouts from illegal mining, Mr. Buaben Asamoa said, was happening now under the NPP.
When the NPP took office, he noted “the President made it his top priority to tackle the pollution of our water bodies and made sure everyone in this country had access to clean, healthy water. That is the promise and we are delivering on it every day – gradually but surely.”
Mocking NDC
Taking a swipe at the NDC, the NPP recalled how the former had always stood against innovations, pointing at, for instance, their opposition to the Free SHS programme, among others.
“It is precisely that lack of reality that led to the reckless promise of a one-time premium and the rejection of Free SHS,” he added.
NDC Posture
The NDC members, he said, continued to bombard “this beautiful country with threats of violence if the electoral process is not done according to what they dictate.”
“While a clear and large majority of Ghanaians want a credible election with the support of a new clean register, the NDC leadership are threatening to burn the country down, if all of us do not bow to their desire to go back to a register that has been declared by the service provider as technically unsound and can be restored only with inbuilt risk at a cost higher than a new one,” he said.
Fairness
Mr. Asamoa said whilst the NDC had the right to pick and choose what they would talk about, it was only fair that they responded to issues of deep concern to the country if they genuinely sought to rule.
“The NDC and the former President have refused to acknowledge the enhanced performance of the cedi, with international investment predicted to be the highest this early 2020,” the NPP observed.
Western Togoland
The former President, the NPP said, was yet to say something about the Western Togoland issues.
“We are yet to hear John Mahama on the impact of the new regions. We are yet to hear John Mahama on the interoperability contract. We are yet to hear John Mahama on the disastrous and dangerous state of the Eastern Corridor road, torn apart less than five years after he received a Ford vehicle in appreciation from his favourite contractor. We are yet to hear John Mahama on his galamsey control policy.”
By A.R. Gomda