Mahama is running the country with blood money – NPP MP

Jerry Ahmed Shaib, the Second Deputy Minority Whip and Member of Parliament for Weija-Gbawe, has alleged that illegal mining, popularly called galamsey, has intensified under the current administration.

He claimed the government is relying on “galamsey money” to support the economy and alleged that the Gold Board has effectively become an institution that buys gold obtained from illegal mining activities.

The MP expressed concern about the continuous destruction of forest reserves and questioned claims of economic stability amid what he described as severe environmental degradation.

“The government claims it has made so much money and that the cedi is stable, but the question is: what is happening to our environment? There is ongoing devastation. Galamsey activities have increased, it is even happening within some schools, and yet these are not the issues being prioritized,” Shaib said.

He further accused the government of benefiting from what he described as “blood money,” arguing that the country’s financial gains are coming at the cost of lives, water bodies, and the environment.

The Deputy Minority Whip dismissed the government’s claims of economic success as “pure propaganda” and “dangerous experiments,” insisting that any supposed gains have not improved the lives of ordinary Ghanaians.

He also criticised the government’s proposed 24-hour economy, accusing the administration of failing to move beyond talk.

Ahmed Shaib noted that despite the attention given to the policy, the government is only now considering a document for review and planning to set up a new Authority.

He alleged that institutions and individuals expected to hold the government accountable have “gone to sleep” because they are either collaborating with or benefiting from the administration.

The lawmaker ended with a grim assessment of the country’s direction, referring to a recent helicopter crash as a missed chance for the government to take a firm stand against galamsey.

He argued that the tragedy should have marked a decisive moment to end illegal mining in honour of the victims, but instead, he claimed, the government continues to pursue “blood money” to run the affairs of the state.

“If we don’t talk about these things, our nation is under siege,” he warned. “People are dying and contracting diseases because of the manner in which our water bodies are being messed up.”…CONTINUE MORE READING>>>