Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has strongly condemned the alleged involvement of two Members of Parliament in an attack on officials of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), warning that Parliament will not protect any MP found guilty of misconduct.
The MPs alleged to have played roles in the incident are the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, and the MP for Asutifi South, Collins Dauda.
Addressing the House on Tuesday, Speaker Bagbin described the incident as “most worrying,” particularly because it involves lawmakers who are expected to uphold the law rather than undermine it.
“The report of attacks on a team from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat, a task force established to combat illegal mining activities in the country, is most worrying,” the Speaker said.
“Also worrying is the fact that the attack was allegedly incited by one of our own, the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, who further roped in a senior member of this House, Honourable Collins Dauda.”
While emphasising that he was yet to be fully briefed on the details of the matter, the Speaker condemned the attack in the strongest terms and stressed Parliament’s commitment to upholding accountability.
“I want to take this opportunity to condemn in no uncertain terms the attack on the team of security officers who have been assigned to help deal with the menace of galamsey, which must be addressed robustly,” Speaker Bagbin stated.
“I have therefore instructed the Office of the Clerk and the Legal Services Office to provide all necessary support to the Ghana Police Service in its investigations, within the framework of the 1992 Constitution, the laws of this country, and the Standing Orders of the House.”
The Speaker’s comments come amid growing public concern over political interference in the fight against illegal mining, which continues to devastate Ghana’s environment and water bodies.
Commenting on the issue, the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, cautioned his colleagues against politicising the matter and called for a united front to tackle the galamsey menace.
“Mr. Speaker, can we, as political leaders, for once agree to stay the partisan approach on this matter, and deal with it and let our citizens know that this is a matter that affects the country and our own livelihoods,” he said.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin urged MPs to look beyond electoral interests and focus on protecting the environment and the nation’s future.
“The issue of galamsey calls for action, collective, not an NDC-NPP affair, but a Ghana affair,” he warned.
“It shouldn’t become like you go to the area that people are mining, and then you say because you may lose election, you don’t want to talk about it, or they will even push you to be lawless, all in the interest of votes that would end up in a coffin.”
