Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has firmly condemned the alleged involvement of two Members of Parliament in an assault on officials from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), stressing that Parliament will not shield any lawmaker found guilty of misconduct.
The MPs in question are the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, and the MP for Asutifi South, Collins Dauda.
Addressing the House on Tuesday, Speaker Bagbin described the incident as “deeply troubling,” noting that lawmakers are expected to uphold the law not undermine it.
“The reported attack on a team from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat, a task force established to combat illegal mining, is most worrying,” the Speaker stated.
“Even more disturbing are claims that the incident was allegedly incited by one of our own—Honourable Ebenezer Kwaku Addo—who is said to have involved another senior member of this House, Honourable Collins Dauda.”
Although he indicated that he had not yet received a full briefing on the matter, the Speaker condemned the attack in the strongest possible terms and reaffirmed Parliament’s commitment to accountability.
“I wish to categorically condemn the assault on the security officers working to combat the menace of galamsey. This illegal activity must be dealt with decisively,” he declared.
“I have therefore directed the Office of the Clerk and the Legal Services Department to fully cooperate with the Ghana Police Service in its investigations, in accordance with the 1992 Constitution, the laws of Ghana, and the Standing Orders of Parliament.”
Speaker Bagbin’s remarks come amid rising public concern about political interference in the fight against illegal mining, which continues to wreak havoc on Ghana’s environment and water resources.
Adding his voice to the discussion, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin urged MPs to avoid politicising the issue and to unite in addressing the galamsey crisis.
“Mr. Speaker, can we, as political leaders, for once, put aside partisanship and confront this matter as one nation? Our citizens need to see that this is a national issue, not a political one,” he said.
He further cautioned against allowing electoral interests to override the country’s welfare.
“The fight against galamsey requires collective action—not an NDC or NPP fight, but a Ghana fight,” Afenyo-Markin stressed.
“We cannot ignore illegal mining simply because we fear losing votes. That kind of thinking leads to lawlessness and ultimately destroys the very future we claim to protect.”
