Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has warned the Minority Leader against politicising the fight against illegal mining, locally known as galamsey.

The Majority Leader's remarks were in response to the Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, who criticised the government for lacking the political will to combat the galamsey menace, warning that Ghana is facing a crisis.

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, October 15, Afenyo-Markin stressed that the menace cannot be blamed solely on the Akufo-Addo administration.

This, he says is because the menace precedes the administration of Akufo-Addo.

Read also: Galamsey: Ghana on the precipice of self-inflicted environmental genocide – Minority Leader

“We cannot, as a political class blame game on galamsey and say a particular political party - in this case, the Akufo-Addo administration has failed in its fight against galamsey and leave out what happened preceding the administration of Akufo-Addo,” he said.

Mr Afenyo-Markin cited an example from 2015, during the Mahama administration, when then-Finance Minister Seth Terkper appeared before Parliament’s Finance Committee and warned about the negative impact of galamsey on the cocoa sector.

“He [Terkper] highlighted how galamsey was destroying cocoa farms, and farmers were cutting down their cocoa trees to engage in illegal mining activities,” Afenyo-Markin recalled.