The Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has alleged that President John Dramani Mahama is unable to take decisive action against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, due to his political affiliations with those engaged in the practice. "President Mahama is very soft on galamsey, and it has worsened under him because he is compromised by many of the things he said on the campaign platform.
They actively campaigned for galamsey votes in 2020," Ahiagbah claimed while speaking on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV.
He suggested that Mahama's political engagements limit his ability to implement immediate and aggressive measures against illegal miners. "So, where he is now, he cannot do anything, at least in the short term, to aggressively attack these galamsey people." Ahiagbah further criticized the current government's approach to tackling illegal mining, arguing that while strong statements are being made, there are no effective mechanisms in place to combat the menace. "In my assessment, strong statements are one thing, but the mechanisms on the ground to deal with these matters are not there.
Galamsey is worse today, and we are threatening our existence with this galamsey issue." Acknowledging that illegal mining has been an ongoing issue, he stressed the need for a non-partisan approach to solving the problem. "Granted, galamsey didn't start today, and we need to fight it.
