Founder of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Akwasi Addai Odike, has labelled the menace of illegal mining activity popularly known as galamsey as an ‘environmental terrorism’ which is far worse than the coup d’état in neighbouring Burkina Faso.
In an interview on Accra based Okay on October 3, he lamented that generations yet unborn will bear the brunt of the havoc galamsey activities are causing.
He accused the Asian powerhouse, China, of being responsible for the destruction because it wants to economically colonize the country.
Commenting on reports that European countries could soon ban Ghana’s cocoa bean on the international market, Odike said China was the one that has used cyanide through galamsey activities to displace the country’s as the most preferred on the foreign market.
He described China as ‘satanic people’ who were bent on crippling economies by taking over a country’s main source of revenue or completely destroying it.
In the case of Ghana, he said China was destroying the country’s cocoa bean as a result of the Asian country’s venture into the same space.
“Our cocoa which used to be of high quality and the backbone of the economy is now being rejected by foreign countries as a result of cyanide in the bean. China has committed to colonizing Africa. When they come into your country, it is either they take over what generates wealth for the country or they destroy it.
“China is destroying the cocoa industry because it is now cultivating some. They were the ones who informed the international community that Ghana’s cocoa contains cyanide meanwhile they brought it. If you look at their conduct and that of Aisha Huang, it is clear they want to bring the country’s economy to its knees in order to take over economically and be dependent on them.
“Chinese are the most satanic and evil people. If I become president, I won’t tolerate them except those who are bringing serious and viable business into the country,” an unhappy Odike said.
He added that “if you look at the number of Chinese nationals who have been arrested and shown on TV, it is only a minimum of three who are languishing in prison”.
Information Minister Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah recently warned that Ghana cocoa and coffee could be banned from the EU under new rules.
He said however that measures are being put in place to avert the ban on Ghana’s biggest foreign exchange earner.
"In Europe, there is a new legislation that could soon make Ghanaian cocoa and coffee unexportable to many international markets.
"The Ghana Embassy in Belgium under the leadership of Ambassador Sena Boateng has moved swiftly to bring this to the attention of the Government of Ghana. It has also commenced work on realigning Ghanaian and European interests in cocoa and coffee," parts of the post shared on Facebook read.
Background
The conversation on galamsey resurfaced following the rearrest of Chinese galamsey kingpin Aisha Huang and her accomplices.
She has been remanded into police custody as she faces her prosecution. Again, many civil society organizations have expressed concerns over the heavy pollution of water bodies which has compelled the Ghana Water Company Limited to threaten to shut down mining communities.
Pressure group, Occupy Ghana, has urged President Akufo-Addo to declare a state of emergency in mining areas as the country wage war on illegal activity.
The President, it will be recalled placed his presidency on the line in the galamsey 2017 however many hold the view that the fight has not been a success as a result of the discoloured nature of water bodies and some top officials found complicit in the fight.
Nana Akufo-Addo opines that he paid a political price for his fight as he lost votes and in some cases, NPP MPs were unseated in mining areas.
Founder of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Akwasi Addai Odike