Former Member of Parliament for Anyaa Sowutuom, Dr. Dickson Adomako Kissi, has defended his right to speak on the fight against illegal mining (galamsey).
According to him, criticism of his party’s past performance does not disqualify him from contributing to the national conversation.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Morning Show on October 7, Dr. Kissi said the issue of galamsey must be treated as a collective Ghanaian concern.
“The issue is a Ghanaian problem. And when I talk, I talk out of passion,” he stated.
He addressed suggestions that because his party the New Patriotic Party (NPP), struggled to end galamsey while in power, he has no moral right to comment on it.
He however strongly rejected that notion. “I beg to differ. I’m Ghanaian first.”
He added that he will speak on the menace regardless of the party in power.
“This issue, when my government was in power, I still bashed it. And I will continue to bash it even more so now.”
Dr. Kissi said the illegal mining menace has reached alarming levels and should be recognized as a national security threat.
“It’s a national security matter. I think that if we’re talking in terms of bio-terrorism, this is bio-terrorism.”
He urged the government to treat the fight with the same seriousness that other nations like United States attached to combating certain threats.
“If Bush went to Iraq to fight bio-terrorism with that level of intensity, I think that the element of bio-terrorism in galamsey fight has to be made strong,” he stated.
