The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma South, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije has rated the government’s performance in the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, at seven out of ten.
According to him, the administration is “moving in the right direction” despite persistent public concerns that the menace is worsening.
Speaking on Starr FM’s Morning Show, Morning Star FM, hosted by Nana Aba Anamoah on Monday, November 2, 2026, Vanderpuije argued that forest reserves are better contained now than before the current John Mahama administration took office.
He pointed to the active involvement of the military, the use of technology to track illegal operators, and reports of recent interceptions of galamsey activities in forest areas in the Brong-Ahafo and Ashanti regions.
“Today, you know that the forest reserves have been contained much better,” Vanderpuije said.
When pressed on whether the situation had improved, he maintained: “Oh, yes” adding that the government has armed the relevant ministry, increased personnel on the ground, and is reclaiming land while working to reduce water pollution.
On the question of a state of emergency—something the NDC had called for while in opposition—Vanderpuije described those earlier demands as belonging to the “campaign period.”
He said the president had instead focused on strengthening the ministry responsible for the fight, doubling field personnel, and expanding coverage.
When asked to score the government’s efforts on a scale of zero to ten, given that two years remain in the term, Vanderpuije settled on seven.
“Given that we have two more years to go, and given what we said we were going to do, I will say today that we are at seven,” he stated.
He further rejected suggestions that the score might be as low as 15 percent or a fail mark, insisting progress reports from the field show reduction in occupied land, land reclamation, and release of areas for agriculture.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
