Former President John Dramani Mahama has alleged that some persons in leadership positions within the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP) are involved in illegal mining activities (galamsey) in Ghana.
This he claimed is holding back the President from acting decisively to stamp out the menace in the country.
It will be recalled that in 2017, President Akufo-Addo told Ghanaians that he was prepared to put his Presidency on the line in his quest to fight illegal mining.
Addressing a two-day workshop on galamsey for traditional leaders drawn from different parts of the country, the President said: “I have said it in the Cabinet, and perhaps this is the first time I am making this public, that I am prepared to put my Presidency on the line on this matter.”
But the former President observed that because President Akufo-Addo’s own people are neck-deep in the galamsey activities he cannot crack the whip insisting District Chief Executives and other party executives were the persons engaged in the government’s Community Mining programme devastating forest reserves.
“Indeed, if we were in some other jurisdiction, he would have resigned by now. By his word, he put his presidency on the line, because now his own people have been found to be the ones engaged, all their party executives have concessions and are doing illegal mining in forest reserves,” he said in a television interview with TV3 on Monday.
