Common sense should guide us on galamsey crisis – Hon. Nyindam

MP for Kpandai constituency in the Northern Region, Matthew Nyindam has expressed deep concern over the devastating effects of illegal mining (galamsey) in Ghana, calling for collective efforts to combat the practice.

Speaking on JoyNews monitored by MyNewsGH, the Member of Parliament emphasized that while mining itself is not inherently harmful, its illegal and unregulated form has caused widespread destruction.

“Galamsey itself was not a bad thing, but where we have extended to—where we have destroyed our sources of life—today, we are not even sure of what we drink or eat. It has become a crime, so we all must fight against illegal mining,” he said.

Hon. Nyindam reiterated his commitment to combating illegal mining, highlighting the need for thorough investigations into the issuance of mining licenses.

“With regards to the licenses that have been issued, maybe it will do us some good to find out about those licenses—who are the individuals involved, and have they legally acquired them?” he questioned.

He noted that even if licenses were issued legally, authorities must scrutinize the locations of these mining activities.

“Are they going into our water bodies? Are they going into our forests? If these licenses have been given and they are going to legally mine, I’m not sure you and I are against legal mining,” he clarified.

Nyindam also raised concerns over the government’s allowance of mining in sensitive areas such as forest reserves. “The issue was with the passage of the bill allowing mining in forest reserves. That was, and still is, a problem. It hasn’t been repealed,” he lamented.

He underscored the role of common sense and moral responsibility in addressing the galamsey crisis. “Even if the law permits it, common sense should guide us. If you really think about this country, the last thing you should do is to involve yourself in an act that would be so heinous,” Nyindam asserted.

The MP called for greater accountability and vigilance in ensuring that those engaging in illegal mining are held responsible.

“The people who are illegally mining are the ones we are dealing with. We should be very interested to find out where those with licenses are even going to embark on their activities—is it in our water bodies?”

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