The founder of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Akwasi Addai Odike, has suggested the International Monetary Fund (IMF) must include the fight against illegal mining as one of the conditions for extending support to Ghana.
Ghana is seeking a $3 billion bailout from the IMF to stabilize the economy, but Odike believes the condition of fighting galamsey will quicken government’s commitment to clamping down on the menace.
The depletion of water bodies and forests across the country is alarming as illegal mining activities, also known as galamsey, keeps flourishing.
Odike says the destruction has been occasioned by the inability of government to deal decisively with menace.
in an interview on the Pulse in Joy News, Odike said, “We (UPP) want this to be part of the conditions, the strings attached to the bailout. I am imploring the IMF to bring galamsey issues as part of the conditionalities to secure this bailout.”
“This will push the government harder to take decisive decisions to mitigate this menace. The United Nations Security Council too must come in”, he added.
