President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has emphasized the substantial political risks he has taken and the personal stakes he has placed on the line in the continued battle against illegal mining, also referred to as galamsey. His dedication to addressing this issue has received significant backlash since he initially committed to taking action in 2017.
During his recent ‘Thank You Tour’ in the Northeast Region on Tuesday, October 15, President Akufo-Addo reiterated his resolve to eliminate galamsey, affirming his commitment to follow through regardless of the consequences.
He expressed worry about the NPP’s poor performance in mining areas during the 2020 elections, attributing this drop to propaganda spread by the NDC’s presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama.
The president pointed out that the NPP almost lost support in mining districts, especially in the Western Region.
“In the previous election [2020] in mining districts, the NPP fared poorly largely due to the NDC candidate and party spreading misinformation in mining areas, suggesting that my anti-galamsey policies would be reversed if they came to power and that those incarcerated for galamsey offenses would be pardoned.
“When I mentioned putting my presidency at stake, I meant that I was willing to take the political risk involved in addressing this galamsey issue.” The outcome was the loss of mining districts, particularly in the Western region, including Tarkwa, to the NPP.
“I am willing to take the political risk of addressing this issue by putting my presidency on the line,” Akufo-Addo stated. He challenged Mahama to clarify his position on galamsey, noting that Mahama expressed opposition to galamsey and emphasized enforcement of the law without resorting to imprisonment. Once more, we must inquire, Mr. JM, what is your stance? What message are you conveying to the people of Ghana?
Your statements seem contradictory, speaking from different angles each time.
