Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has launched a blistering attack on the government, accusing it of using the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) as a front to support and legitimise illegal mining operations, widely known as galamsey.
Speaking during the concluding debate on the 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review on Thursday, Afenyo-Markin claimed that the administration has turned its back on farmers and food security, allowing illegal mining to thrive under the guise of Gold Board operations.
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He alleged that the government’s current posture promotes galamsey by actively purchasing gold from illicit sources, effectively endorsing and enabling the destruction of Ghana’s farmlands and water bodies.
He stated that the galamsey menace has worsened since the current NDC administration took office, particularly within the first five months of its tenure.
The Minority Leader stressed growing public outrage, noting that organised labour, through its Secretary-General, openly challenged the government’s commitment to fighting illegal mining during May Day celebrations.
He also referenced a sharply worded statement from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, which decried the explosion of galamsey activity in the Western Region and demanded urgent intervention.
The Minority leader also aimed for the government’s approach to justice, accusing it of double standards and selective prosecutions. He alleged that while political opponents from the former NPP government are being targeted, allies of the current regime are shielded from accountability. According to him, the government’s failure to recover stolen state assets and reinvest in public development has compromised both justice and progress.
On the economic front, the Minority Leader drew attention to worsening youth unemployment, stating that over 30 per cent of Ghana’s young population remains jobless. He criticised the government’s GH¢0.5 billion allocation for job creation as woefully inadequate and disrespectful to the over three million unemployed young Ghanaians.
Afenyo-Markin warned that the lack of meaningful economic opportunities is pushing desperate youth into illegal mining and criminal activity.