Hot SourceThe Naib Ameer II of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Ghana, Alhaji Suleman Ahmed Anderson, has accused the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of deep hypocrisy in the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Speaking at the 44th annual conference of the youth wing of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Wa, Alhaji Anderson said the two leading political parties have consistently traded blame over the galamsey menace while quietly safeguarding their own interests.
According to him, both parties are guilty of “beautiful promises in opposition” but abandon their commitments once in government.
“A typical example of this problem is the galamsey menace we have in Ghana on which the two main political parties we have in this country stand differently depending on whether they are in government or in opposition,” he said.
“In opposition they have beautiful ideas, very beautiful ideas to serve us in opposition, but give them the mandate and they lose all those beautiful ideas.”
Alhaji Anderson attributed the persistence of illegal mining to what he described as materialism and individualism driven by political self-interest, adding that this attitude has hindered genuine national cooperation in addressing the crisis.
“Let me revisit the subject of individualism and say that it is stirred by many factors, and dangerous among the factors is materialism which results in waste as well as destruction of our environment,” he said. “It leads to lack of cooperation which is much seen in our polarised political system where people and parties of opposing views are unable to work together to solve problems facing their people.”
The Ahmadiyya leader also warned about the environmental devastation caused by illegal mining, particularly the destruction of Ghana’s water bodies. He cited the River Ayensu, which once served communities around Swedru, Winneba, and Kwanyako, but has now been severely degraded by illegal mining activities.
He further condemned armed galamsey operators who threaten officials of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and endanger national infrastructure by digging close to transmission pylons.
He cautioned that if the situation continues unchecked, the country could face power disruptions not because of generation challenges, but due to the destruction of transmission lines.
Alhaji Anderson called on Muslims and Ghanaian youth to resist being complicit in illegal mining, urging them to uphold the Quranic principle of truth and integrity and to take collective action to protect the environment.
He stressed that the fight against galamsey requires moral courage, sincerity, and unity beyond political lines.
“We must act together to protect our environment and secure the future of our livelihoods,” he said.
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