‘We cannot allow those who enjoyed galamsey with their side chicks to go unpunished’ – Sammy Gyamfi

All of the government appointees named in the Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng report have been described as "galamsey kingpins" by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) 's National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi.

The report details the operations of the former Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), citing some government officials for working against the zealous fight against the destruction of forests and water bodies.

Sammy Gyamfi, speaking to journalists in Accra on Tuesday, April 25, said many of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's appointees were neck-deep in galamsey and engaged in the activity with reckless abandon.

According to him, the report highlighted the fact that "illegal mining has been a free-for-all enterprise" for government appointees.

He served notice that the NDC would petition the Office of Special Prosecutor in the coming days to investigate and prosecute those named.

"I and other party leaders would petition the OSP, demanding an immediate investigation and prosecution of those named. We expect the OSP to investigate the matter, or he should resign if he lacks the courage to do so. We are demanding justice and action, and if they don't give us justice, we will hit the streets and go to their homes and let them know that we will not allow them and their side chicks to enjoy galamsey while our water bodies are destroyed".

"We would also petition parliament and ensure that they investigate the matter," he said. But that's not all. We also anticipate that the House will address Aljazeera's Gold Mafia report. These issues are intertwined, and Ghanaians want to know what happened. Billions of dollars have been squandered on the galamsey fight since 2017. Those claimed to have been used to purchase drones have been wasted, as have those given to Operation Vanguard. So, if we want to investigate the matter, it should be broadcast".