Galamsey report: Why damage people’s character over simple claims? – Richard Ahiagba jabs NDC

The National Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagba, has criticized the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the recent press conference calling government officials all sorts of names.

The National Communications Director of the NDC Sammy Gyamfi held a press conference on Monday displaying photos of senior NPP members and government officials following the leaked report by former Environment Minister, Prof. Frimpong Boateng, accusing them of galamsey activities.

The list included, Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Marfo, Captain Koda, Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Gabby Otchere-Darko, Laud Commey, Charles Nii Tagoe and others.

In reaction, Richard Ahiagba said the NDC’s claims were “pointless”, particularly about the Gold Mafia documentary by Al Jazeera.

He argued that the opposition party should have waited for an official investigation before levelling accusations on people.

“The pointlessness of the NDC's press conference yesterday is legendary. The Al Jazeera documentary has been effectively discredited so, I wonder why they were talking spiritedly about it,” Ahiagba said.

He added, “the individuals especially, the Information Minister, has responded to state his innocence, but the NDC simply refused to acknowledge it or be restrained it. Instead, the NDC went full hog to display their pictures as though they have been found culpable of anything.”

According to him, the NDC attempt to make political capital out of the leaked report has failed indicating that their (NDC) “record on galamsey is criminal.”

His post read below:
“The pointlessness of the NDC's press conference yesterday is legendary.

The Al Jazeera documentary has been effectively discredited so, I wonder why they were talking spiritedly about it.

On Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng's document, as a party, we support the President's prompt referral of the document to the CID, for an independent investigation. That is the democratic way, and the NDC is fully aware.

The fight against galamsey is existential, but sadly the NDC has never seen it as such. The NDC sees it first as politics, an avenue to canvass votes either by way of promising galamseyers more galamsey when they ever win power or to do what they did yesterday in the press conference to besmirch the character of the people cited in the document on the weight of simple claims.

The individuals especially, the Information Minister, has responded to state his innocence, but the NDC simply refused to acknowledge it or be restrained it. Instead, the NDC went full hog to display their pictures as though they have been found culpable of anything.

What would it have cost the NDC to have waited for the CID to complete its investigation and render its report for public scrutiny? Perhaps, the NDC is not aware that President Akufo-Addo has referred Prof. Boateng's report to the CID.

The NPP, unlike the NDC, is committed to the fight against galamsey, and thus far has made considerable gains. But certainly, there is a lot more that needs to be done and all of us must pinch in. It is my humble appeal to all Ghanaians to get involved by reporting galamsey activities, learn about its dire implications for our very existence, and on that basis speak objectively against galamsey.

The NDC must learn to keep certain things above partisan politics and galamsey is one of such things. We know the NDC's record on galamsey is criminal, to put it mildly. The fight against galamsey proceeds without fear or favor. Let's all get involve less the partisanship that often weakens the cooperation we need to triumph.

Please watch the attached NDC galamsey video, and I am sure you conclude with me that the NDC needs to get serious with the fight against galamsey. Their double standard on a matter as serious as galamsey is sickening,”