The recent attack on a member of the Forestry Commission’s Rapid Response team by armed illegal miners in the Offin Shelterbelt Forest Reserve in the Ashanti Region has sparked political discussions.

This has put pressure on the government to accelerate its efforts to address the issue of illegal mining, also known as galamsey, in the country.

Following the incident, President John Dramani Mahama issued a directive barring all government appointees from engaging in any form of legal or illegal mining as part of efforts to tackle Ghana’s environmental crisis.

The President’s instruction has sparked debates among Ghanaians, with some political critics condemning his decision, while others applaud the gesture.

The Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Council of Elders for South Africa, Benjamin Kofi Quashie, has also shared his opinion on the incident and the government’s plan to address the situation.

Mr. Quashie, who spoke on Joy Prime’s Prime Morning show, reiterated the President’s decision not to prevent the media and Ghanaians from seeking accountability, assuring that the government is working tirelessly to make galamsey unattractive to those who might consider engaging in it.

“The NDC is now in power. Thank God the culture of silence and impunity is gone. So, everybody will talk against President Mahama and he’s indicated that he’s not going to tell Ghanaians not demand accountability from the NDC as a party. I can assure you that in the days to come, this menace of galamsey, we would have won the battle not fully but ensure that we’re getting to where President Mahama indicated that we should get to. Galamsey will not be appealing to anybody to enter into,” he told the host, Roselyn Felli.

He is confident that the NDC administration will overcome the canker, given the aggressive education the government has been promoting since assuming office, which the citizenry has embraced and which is helping to expose some illegal miners.

Mr. Quashie explained that it is not President Mahama’s intention to stop licensed companies from carrying out their legal duties, but rather to target those who are illegally involved in the activity.

However, he emphasized that the directive is meant to ensure that government officials lead by example.

“You have to lead by example. You can’t be in government serving the people and go into this kind of venture. President Mahama indicated it even before now that nobody in his administration should be seen in anything illegal mining or even mining because at the end of the day, there are conflicts of interest here and there. We don’t want to encourage that as a party in the NDC.”