By Edzorna Francis Mensah
The Minority in Parliament has raised concerns about the pending disbursement of millions of Ghana cedis to 800,000 people as part of a drought relief program, with each individual expected to receive about GHS 3,000.
According to the Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson, Ph.D., “I am reliably informed that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government intends to role out about GHS 3,000 per person and other election-driven handouts to some 800,000 so-called farmers in the name of drought relief.”
In his address on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, to welcome colleagues back to the fifth meeting of the fourth session of the 8th Parliament of the Fourth Republic, Dr. Forson expressed concern over the alleged misuse of funds. He stated, “It is obvious that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government has not learned any useful lessons from the misuse of COVID-19 funds and borrowed funds on reckless consumption-driven expenditure.”
He also reminded the government that Ghana’s economy, which he claims has been severely mismanaged, is still fragile. “Strict adherence to fiscal responsibility rules must be upheld, especially in an election year,” he stressed.
On the issue of illegal mining, Dr. Forson warned that Ghana is facing a serious environmental crisis. “Ghana is under attack by an unprecedented wave of illicit, illegal, uncontrolled, and unregulated mining activities. We are on the brink of a self-inflicted environmental genocide,” he lamented.
He explained that many farmlands, including cocoa farms, have been completely destroyed and replaced by unattended pits and gullies due to illegal mining. “According to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), it may take up to 300 years to restore the quality of soil damaged by illegal mining.”
Dr. Forson continued, “It appears we are at war against ourselves, and the destructive effects are both frightening and far-reaching. The reckless and criminal discharge of heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and cyanide into our water bodies and lands have already begun to have dire consequences on our health.”
