A communications team member of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Ekua Amoakoh, has slammed the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, for crying on live television over illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
At a press conference on Monday, April 21, the minister, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for Ellembelle, was seen shedding tears after watching a documentary that highlighted the devastating impact of galamsey across parts of the country.
But according to Dr. Amoakoh, the act was a mere political gimmick aimed at covering up the minister’s inability to fulfill government’s campaign promise to end illegal mining.
Speaking in an interview on Accra-based JoyNews’ AM Show on Tuesday, April 22, she urged the minister to use his position to take action rather than seek public sympathy.
“With everything they said leading up to this year about the fight against galamsey and how the executive had the ultimate authority to stop it, and after four months, no headway—nothing has been done to stop it. But the tears that were shed… how does that help the problem? It’s just a gimmick,” she stated.
“You have the power now. Especially on the back of everything they said last year when they were in opposition—they believed they had the answers, that they knew what needed to be done which wasn’t being done,” she added.
“They are not making any headway, and to come and sit on TV and cry— to me, it is the height of mediocrity and incompetence. Because you have the ultimate power to do something about it. If you are crying, what should the rest of us do?” Dr. Amoakoh quizzed.
