Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has called on Ghanaians to exercise patience as the government continues efforts to control illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
He compared the process of restoring the country’s forests and rivers to the natural time it takes for a woman to give birth, saying, “However hard you try, one cannot produce a child in less than nine months.”
According to him, although work has begun on the fight against galamsey, it will take time before the results become visible.
“If we stop the mining, it will take some time for the water bodies to be clean. If we stop the mining in forest reserves, it will take time for us to reclaim the forest and plant new trees,” he explained.
Mr. Asiedu Nketia said many people have criticised the government for not delivering on its promises to control galamsey and create jobs for the youth.
However, he insisted that the process takes time and should not be rushed.
He added that some developmental efforts have a natural period before they yield results, urging the public to acknowledge the progress made so far.
“I am happy about the progress being made, and I want all of you to commend the government for the work that has been done so far,” he said.
By: Jacob Aggrey
