Galamsey meeting with chiefs “is like a group of thieves in a meeting discussing how to bring theft to an end” – NPP’s Elvis Botah

Mr Elvis Banoemuleng Botah, a former Deputy National Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has reacted to the recent meeting between the President and chiefs about the galamsey menace in the country.

According him, meeting with chiefs, some of whom are accomplices in the canker is like a meeting of a group of thieves on how to bring an end to theft.

He was of the view, the meeting will not yield any positive result adding that the President knows what to do if indeed he desires to see an end to the development which is creating havoc to the country’s arable lands, forest reserves and water bodies.

Mr Botah was speaking on Pan African TV’s Good Morning Africa, monitored by GhanaPlus.com of Thursday, October 6, 2022.

To him, the president must crack the whip starting with persons around him implicated in the galamsey menace.

“Another useless talk, another completely useless talk that will not rake in any gain, you know why, this whole galamsey thing, we are not stupid, we cannot be fooling ourselves, the President knows what to do if indeed we want the policy to stand. How many of the numerous people implicated some of whom very closer to him have been taking to court,” Mr Botah said.

“People have stolen spoons and forks and knives and they are in Nsawam for the last five years, some of them have not even been locked up on the basis of the administration of justice. We have a lot of people who have been on prison remand for over a decades and it is interesting when you hear what,” he lamented.

“There was a documentary of an old lady at the Nsawam prisons. I am talking about a about a 67 year old woman at Nsawam prison serving a 5years terms of which he has served 2years for what offence? For stealing plantain to feed her two grand children whom the daughter died and left. The arm of justice was able to locate her, yet the arm of justice cannot locate anybody in this galamsey business so if the President has not done anything about the numerous accusations of people around him relative to galamsey issues. Nothing”.

“Then again chiefs, the people we call chiefs, traditional authorities who by the way have become more serious politicians than us who are card bearing members of the political parties and very complicit themselves in this issue of galamsey, you go talking to them, is like a group of thieves, am using my words advisedly, is like group of thieves, am not by this saying their thieves, I choose my words carefully, is like a group of thieves in a meeting discussing how to bring theft to an end. When they feed from theft, do you think theft will ever end?,” Mr Botah said.

Akufo Addo meets chiefs, MMDCEs over galamsey

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo on Wednesday, October 5, met Chiefs, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executive (MMDCEs) in Kumasi over developments in the small scale-mining sector, otherwise known as galamsey.

Speaking at the meeting, the President called for collaboration between the chiefs, the custodians of the land and the MMDCEs, government representative in the communities to fight the menace.

Source: GhanaPlus.com