GMA Petitioned To Sanction NPP MP Who Dismissed Calls For Banning Galamsey

• A medical doctor has filed a petition at the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) seeking the sanctioning of the Effiduase-Asokore MP
• In filing the petition, he said the utterances of Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie, who is also a medical doctor, would bring the GMA to disrepute
• He has urged the GMA to take swift action against the Effiduase Asokore MP to send a strong message to doctors about their words

A medical doctor has petitioned the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) to sanction the Effduase Asokore Member of Parliament and haul him before its disciplinary committee.

The petition is in response to comments made by Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie, who seemingly supported the galamsey menace and dismissed calls for a nationwide ban on small-scale mining.

According to the petitioner, Dr Samuel Ayeh, Dr Ayew Afriyie’s statements contradicted the association's common position against illegal mining.

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He urged the GMA to haul the MP, who is also a member of the association before the disciplinary committee to answer for his comments on the political campaign podium.

He added that the MP must also be sanctioned severely to serve a strong signal of the association’s unwavering commitment to the anti-galamsey struggle.

Dr Ayeh said severe sanctions would deter other medical practitioners from sacrificing their ethical standards for political campaigns.

Health implications of galamsey

The effects of galamsey are most felt in mining communities where miners and other community members have started reporting several mining-related diseases.

The GMA reported that it had noticed an uptick in kidney-related diseases, skin conditions, and birth deformities, among other things, in galamsey-affected areas.

The GMA had noted a direct correlation between the diseases and the galamsey activities and thus supported calls for a complete ban on illegal mining.

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Dr Ayeh emphasised that Dr Afriyie, a medical doctor, should have been aware of the phenomenon and not have made that statement.

He said that if the GMA failed to hold Dr Afriyie accountable and did not sanction him appropriately, the organisation would be brought into disrepute.

"This is about protecting the integrity of the medical profession in Ghana," Dr. Ayeh said.

NPP MP blames media for misreporting

YEN.com.gh also reported that the MP for Effiduase-Asokore has said the media misreported his statement on galamsey.

Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie had accused TV3 of doctoring their recording of his speech to send thea wrong message to citizens.

He argued that a total ban on small-scale mining would be unfair to miners operating responsibly, hence his opposition to it.

Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh