Former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rev. Professor Emmanuel Martey has been slammed by former Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports, Joseph Yamin for saying NDC and Mahama administration did nothing to fight illegal small-scale mining (Galamsey) during their 8 years in power.
Professor Martey speaking to journalists in an interview mentioned that small-scale mining (Galamsey) had a field day under the Mahama administration as the government of John Mahama identified the cause of Galamsey but failed to deal with it despite his promptings.
“I don’t want to go into politics but it was in Mahama’s administration that this thing [Galamsey] became worst. I met Mahama, we sat down and I complained about this Galamsey. He told me that he was able to identify the Ghanaian who was bringing the Chinese to Ghana so they will deal with it. But rather, things got worse so if the government will sit up and selflessly manage our country, this Galamsey business will be solved,” Rev Martey said.
Rev Martey commended the Akufo-Addo government for fighting galamsey.
“It is too early to say that the present administration is not doing well. In fact it is because they have come, and thanks to the media everybody knows that galamsey is a necessary evil which ought to be eliminated.”
But reacting to Professor Martey’s comment on Okay FM’s ‘Ade Akye Abia’ Morning Show, Joseph Yamin urged the former Moderator not to be part of partisan politics; as any time he speaks he soils the image of Christianity and puts the clergy in disrepute.
“When I speak about Professor Martey, I speak with passion because he is from the church that I belong to and he continuously disgraces the church in partisan politics; it is wrong and not helpful to the church.
“From Frimpong Manso (former Presby moderator) to him [Martey] and the current Moderator, did you hear Frimpong Manso emerging in politics? Professor Martey is not a good citizen because he is not speaking on logic and he is not speaking as a neutral person and he is not speaking because he knows the fact,” he said.
He wondered why Professor Martey never said anything about those 8 NPP vigilante group members who have been set free by the Attorney-General after attacking a judge in the courtroom.
“ . . . And that is more disgrace than the act itself; have you heard him talk about it?” he inquired
He was of the view that if Rev Martey wants to equate the fight against Galamsey, he should use one whole day to thank former President Mahama as he did exceptionally well in the fight against Galamsey.
“If he does not know, he should research or call me for that information before he speaks publicly again about Mahama’s effort in the fight against Galamsey; Otherwise, everything he said is not based on facts,” he averred.
“He should stop disgracing the Presbyterian Church because it is becoming too much. Though he has every right to talk about Galamsey, but you see the fight against Galamsey is a fight that if Professor Martey really wants to fight it, he should not do politics with it,” he jabbed.
According to him his problem with Professor Martey is not about his critic, but anytime he speaks, he does so in favour of the NPP.
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