Legal Counsel to former President Akufo-Addo, Kow Abaka Essuman, has urged Ghanaians to stop politicising the fight against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, stressing that the issue must be treated as a national concern.
Speaking on Starr Chat with Bola Ray on Starr 103.5 FM on Thursday, October 9, 2025, Mr. Essuman recalled the strong measures taken by the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration under Former President Akufo-Addo, noting that the government faced intense pressure for its actions but remained resolute.
“Galamsey is one of the things that, when we were in government, there were a lot of calls for our government to take action. In fact, if you remember, [Former] President Akufo-Addo, when he came into power, said he is putting his presidency on the line – and indeed he did put his presidency on the line because in 2020, after he took certain actions, it cost him,” he said.
He emphasized that the illegal mining menace requires a collective national response rather than partisan blame.
“It is something we have to deal with as a country. We cannot play politics with it. We kept saying when we were in government that galamsey is not an issue that you play politics with, so I am not surprised that the current government is facing the kind of pressure that it’s facing. We need to treat it as a national matter,” he added.
READ: NPP did better in the fight against galamsey – Kow Essuman
Mr. Essuman further noted that, at this point in time, the NPP performed better in the fight against galamsey, but reiterated that long-term success depends on a united, apolitical approach.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
