Professor Kwesi Yankah, an academician, author and statesman has urged President Akufo-Addo to save his face and his government by going after the “big fishes” in the fight against galamsey.
In what he termed as “my written speech” addressed directly to the president through Asaase 99.5, Prof Yankah drew President Akufo-Addo’s attention to the devastating effect of the galamsey menace in the country and the need to take immediate action.
Speaking with Benjamin Offei-Addo on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Wednesday (5 October), Prof Yankah said, “… This galamsey fight or war this time has taken fortunately or unfortunately to your [Akufo-Addo’s] doorstep – the Akim, Kibi area; it directly affects your own community and it doesn’t really need to affect your community before you take action. You know the devastation that galamasey has caused all over these years.”
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He added, “At least in the name of your ancestry – the Kyebi royalty, the Ofori-Attas’, the JB Danquahs’, who were natured by the Birim river and whose lives have impacted the nation Ghana a great deal. But look at the whole picture which large the situation within Ghana where we are losing our sovereignty as being seen as helpless against human galamsayers largely because the big men among them are politicians and we know them.”
“Nana, go ahead and hand-in-hand with chiefs deal with the big men involved in galamsey. Those who control the purse – the faceless ones whom everybody knows but cannot speak about. And don’t think of elections alone, think of eternity and even for elections; imagine how many extra votes you are going to get if within the next one year our rivers are clean and back to normal.”
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Prof Yankah added, “The voters also use the rivers. It is the same voters that drink from rivers and that drink water and farm. The same voters get sick and ill because of the cyanide and mercury used by galamsayers.
“Nana, in the name of Ghana, save your face and your government by going after the big fishes in galamsey. That’s my written speech.”