Story: News Desk

The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has backed Organised Labour’s intended nationwide strike to compel the government to declare a state of emergency to tackle the illegal mining (galamsey) menace.

In a statement signed and issued by its presidential candidate Kofi Asamoah-Siaw, the PPP noted that it was in “full support of the demands made by the TUC for the government to ban all forms of illegal small-scale mining in our water bodies, forest reserves and within any part of Ghana.

“We consider galamsey as the single most existential threat to the Republic of Ghana. The galamseyers are engaged in biological warfare against the State of Ghana, and their use of mercury and other heavy-metal pollutants constitute a deployment of weapons of mass destruction against the nation-state and its people.”

“I fully pledge, on my honour, and in the name of God and Country, to sign unconditionally and without hesitation the Anti-Galamsey Declaration sponsored by the TUC. The PPP is proud of the steps taken by the TUC and organized labour to step forward to defend the country against state-capture and state-sponsored terrorism led by a group of selfish, greedy and unpatriotic Ghanaians who believe that Ghana should have been bequeathed to them as their colony”, the statement said.

To this end, the PPP called on Organised Labour to ignore the calls by the President to give him more time to solve the problem.

“This President has been in power for close to eight years and failed in tackling the illegal mining. His calls are only directed at getting more time for his party members to continue to perpetuate this and other heinous crimes against the people.

“The PPP is seeking an opportunity to come to power to govern with integrity and discipline that will promote peace and prosperity for all,” it added.