Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has delivered a scathing critique of the Mahama administration, accusing it of allowing state-owned machinery earmarked for road development to be hijacked for illegal mining activities with impunity.
Raising alarm during a heated debate on the economy in Parliament on Monday, July 14, Afenyo-Markin claimed that equipment meant for the District Road Improvement Project (DRIP) is being diverted to support destructive galamsey operations, with no visible effort from government authorities to halt the misuse.
“Mr. Speaker, if we do not deal with this galamsey issue, money is getting into the hands of people, and they are destroying the environment. In the long run, it is this same economy that will be affected,” he warned.
According to him, the unchecked spread of illegal mining continues to wreak havoc on Ghana’s environment, eroding gains in sectors like agriculture and compromising long-term national development.
“How do you sustain your economy when some environmental factors are affecting the very economy, and it is hand-to-mouth? Today, the DRIP machines that are supposed to be for our roads, some people are using them for galamsey, and there is no authority to even reprimand them. There is impunity,” Afenyo-Markin lamented.
His remarks intensified concerns about the government’s commitment to tackling environmental degradation and protecting public infrastructure. The Minority Leader’s call for decisive intervention echoes growing public frustration with the rampant abuse of state resources in illegal mining, which continues to drain the country’s natural wealth and threaten its economic stability.
