'Politicians put pressure on colleagues to slow down 'galamsey' fight over elections' – Inusah Fuseini

A former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Inusah Fuseini, has said politicians are always under pressure from their fellow politicians to bend the rules with regard to the 'galamsey' fight; therefore, making it difficult to fight the canker.

The Tamale Central lawmaker made the comments in an interview on the Executive Breakfast Show (EBS) on Monday, 10 February 2020.

He told show host Benjamin Akakpo that from his time at the Ministry of Lands, “Politicians are always under immense pressure, immense pressure to try to bend the rules. Pressure from your colleagues who want to win elections and whose constituencies are engaged in 'galamsey', and who come to you and say: ‘You have to slow down because it’s affecting my election bid.’”

Mr Fuseini also revealed that since he left office as Minister, he has never been to China, as under his watch, he “drew bad blood from the Chinese.”

He said: “It’s always good to be honest with yourself to be able to win the fight against 'galamsey'. I drew bad blood. I drew bad blood from the Chinese up to the time I left the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources. I’ve never been to China because I know that I drew bad blood from them.”

“The Chinese ambassador came to my office several times to impress upon me that the Chinese are the victims and not the [perpetrators of the act],” Mr Fuseini noted.

In relation to the missing excavators, Mr Fuseini added that: “Except that the NPP guys are closing their eyes to reality, I can understand what is happening over there. I mean, how can you explain how an MP can go and buy an excavator from the Inter-Ministerial tax force?”