Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has strongly condemned the alleged involvement of two Members of Parliament in an attack on officials from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), warning that no legislator will be shielded from accountability.
The MPs, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo of Asutifi North and Collins Dauda of Asutifi South, have been accused of taking part in an assault on a NAIMOS taskforce deployed to clamp down on illegal mining activities in the Ahafo Region.
Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, Speaker Bagbin described the allegations as “deeply disturbing and utterly unacceptable”, emphasizing that Parliament will not tolerate misconduct by those entrusted with upholding the law.
“The report of an attack on a team from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat is most worrying,” Bagbin stated. “Even more troubling is the claim that the assault was instigated by one of our own, who allegedly involved another Honourable Member in the matter.”
He further disclosed that the Office of the Clerk and the Legal Services Department of Parliament had been instructed to collaborate fully with the Ghana Police Service in their investigations.
“I condemn, without reservation, the attack on the taskforce. Parliament stands for justice and will not protect anyone found culpable,” he declared.
The development comes amid growing public unease over political interference in Ghana’s protracted battle against illegal mining, or galamsey, which continues to ravage farmlands, forests, and water bodies across the country.
Joining the debate, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin urged lawmakers to adopt a bipartisan approach in tackling the menace, stressing that environmental protection should transcend politics.
“Can we, as leaders, for once agree to abandon the partisan lens and confront this problem as a national priority?” he asked. “We cannot ignore wrongdoing because of votes. Such thinking only leads to destruction, not progress.”
Bagbin’s remarks underscore a renewed resolve within Parliament to hold its members accountable and reinforce public trust in the legislative arm’s role in safeguarding the nation’s natural resources.
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