Joshua Akamba punches Akufo Addo over galamsey hypocrisy

The National Organiser for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Mr Joshua Akamba has blasted President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over his approach to fighting the Galamsey menace, describing the latter's call for National Dialogue as "a mark of hypocrisy".

The firebrand National Organiser believes the call by the President for National Consultative Dialogue on Small-Scale Mining was just another scam to deceive Ghanaians on his lukewarm attitude to fighting the menace.

Speaking on Akoma FM’s morning show GhanAkoma, Mr Akamba said the NDC does not see any reason for such dialogue, questioning the timing of the President's call.

“NDC has no interest in the National Dialogue on small scale mining and that is why none of us was present at the forum," he said.

"In fact, the last time the party’s National Executives met we didn’t even discuss it as part of our agenda.”

Mr. Akamba is of the view that after the president and his compatriots have benefited from galamsey and milked the land and devastated the country’s water bodies, the National Dialogue on Small-Scale Mining is another business as usual.

President Akufo-Addo, during State of the Nation Address early this year, called for an open and non-partisan approach in tackling the galamsey menace and subsequently on Wednesday, April 14 launched a two-day National Consultative Dialogue on small-scale mining at the Accra International Conference Centre to solicit views, proposals and suggestions from diverse stakeholders in the small-scale mining industry, to develop appropriate policy interventions for the sector.

However Mr Akamba sees nothing serious from the President's new move, questioning why he could not crack the whip against members of his Goverment who named in the illegal activity.

"If the President is indeed committed to this cause he should have tried and convicted some indicted members within his government who were captured on video collecting bribe to allow people to indulge in the menace," he quizzed.

"So for some of us we don't take the President serious when he comes up with such antics," he added.