Lawyers for the Member of Parliament for Effiduase/Asokore in the Ashanti Region, Nana Ayew Afriye, have requested the National Media Commission to cause TV3 and Onua TV stations to retract what they describe as offensive publications against the lawmaker.
The media houses are also to use the same medium to render the necessary apologies to avoid any further legal action from the MP.
In a petition addressed to the NMC, the solicitors for Nana Ayew Afriye explained that on September 26, 2024, their client was a speaker at an NPP event in the Ashanti Region where he brought up the issue of both small-scale mining or community mining, and illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as Galamsey.
According to the lawyers, their client sought to distinguish between the confusion associated with the definition and/or meaning ascribed to small-scale or community mining as against illegal mining or galamsey. "Our client, in his statement during the said NPP event, indicated that there shouldn't be any issues or concerns associated with legal small-scale mining or community mining that is properly undertaken responsibly, sustainably, and in accordance with law. "Our client, however, in no uncertain terms, condemned illegal small-scale mining known as galamsey, which has seriously affected almost all Ghanaian water bodies and caused severe environmental degradation with its consequent negative effects now and in the future.