The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has alleged that some equipment designated for the District Road Improvement Project (DRIP) is being diverted for illegal mining operations, with little to no intervention from the Mahama administration to stop the practice.

He warned that the ongoing environmental degradation caused by illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, poses a serious threat to Ghana’s economy by undermining the government’s own efforts to promote agricultural development as a key driver of growth.

Speaking in Parliament on Monday, July 14, during a debate on the state of the economy, Afenyo-Markin urged the government to take swift and decisive action to curb illegal mining and safeguard the country’s natural resources.

“Mr. Speaker, if we do not deal with this galamsey issue, money is getting into the hands of people, and they are destroying the environment. In the long run, it is this same economy that will be affected,” he said.

“How do you sustain your economy when some environmental factors are affecting the very economy, and it is hand-to-mouth? Today, the DRIP machines that are supposed to be for our roads, some people are using them for galamsey, and there is no authority to even reprimand them. There is impunity,” he added.

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