A member of the NDC Manifesto Committee, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, says should his party regain power, no member should dare attempt to engage in illegal mining operations.

The former Minister for Youth and Sports believes it is time to protect the country’s ecosystem, especially forests and water bodies, from wanton destruction through mining.

He has therefore warned all members of the NDC who have the intentions of engaging in illegal mining to shelve their intent.

“We need to suspend all Galamsey activities for at least one year to give our water bodies and forest reserves breathing space to recover. I investigated the GYEEDA Scandal with an independent body and I can promise that any member of my party who engages in Galamsey will be investigated and prosecuted,” he told Nana Kwadwo Jantuah in an exclusive interview on Nhyira Fm.

Elvis Afriyie Afriyie alluded to the fact that Galamsey activities have been an age-long practice, but the impact has been worsened by the current NPP administration.

He attributed the government’s lack of commitment in fighting illegal mining to a deliberate and organized scheme to pillage the forests.

“Nana Addo’s government over the past eight years has failed to sufficiently combat this Galamsey menace because it is a deliberate and organized scheme to make it worse. He refused to act on several reports on illegal mining; an example is that of Professor Frimpong Boateng. The president ignored all the reports because a lot of his appointees are reported to have been involved in the illegality,” he said.

According to the former sports minister, illegal mining is enough reason to vote against the current government.

“Any Ghanaian who has no reason to vote against this government should look at Galamsey which is a threat to their livelihood,” he stated.