The ad-hoc ministerial committee on illegal mining has debunked claims made by the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, that the leadership of organised labour demanded money to call off a planned strike.
According to the committee, these allegations are “baseless and unfounded.”
In a press statement issued on Thursday, September 19, 2024, the Committee’s Chairman and Minister for National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah, urged the public to disregard such claims, stressing that no financial demands were made during its engagement with the leadership of organised labour.
“The committee hereby calls on the public to disregard the claims as same are baseless and unfounded. No such demand has been made and no such payment has been made either,” the statement read.
“The engagement between the Committee and Organised Labour was held in good faith and without inducement,” Kan-Dapaah stressed.
The committee, tasked with fighting illegal and irresponsible mining, reiterated its commitment to working closely with all relevant stakeholders.
“We entreat the public to disregard such false claims,” the statement concluded, assuring that the Committee would continue its efforts to combat illegal mining.
The union gave the government till the end of September to take decisive action to address the escalating illegal mining (galamsey) crisis.
In a statement issued by Joshua Ansah, Secretary General of the TUC, organised labour demanded the immediate declaration of a state of emergency in all areas affected by illegal mining.
The group also called for a halt to all mining activities in forest reserves, the establishment of special courts to fast-track the prosecution of galamsey operators, and the deployment of the military to remove and destroy all mining equipment in affected areas.
Mr Ansah stressed that the government’s failure to act swiftly and decisively on the galamsey menace has resulted in severe environmental degradation, including the destruction of rivers, farmlands, and forest reserves.
The statement added that if no concrete measures are taken by the end of September, organised labour will have no choice but to embark on a series of demonstrations and a nationwide strike to force the government’s hand.
Source:theghanareport.com