President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on former president and current National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, to clarify his position on the issue of illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey. The President accused Mahama of making contradictory statements regarding the fight against the illicit activity, which continues to threaten Ghana’s environment and natural resources.
Akufo-Addo made these remarks during a thank-you tour in the North East Region on Tuesday, urging Mahama to be more transparent about his plan to address the galamsey issue. He criticized the former president for what he described as an unclear and inconsistent stance.
“Today, he is saying that, no, he doesn’t believe in jail, that he’s against galamsey, and he will enforce the law. So once again, we have to ask ourselves, mister JM, where do you stand?” Akufo-Addo said, demanding clarity. “Every time you speak, you speak from one corner of your mouth, and you speak from another corner of your mouth. Let us hear from you direct, straight up—what do you stand for? We need to know.”
Illegal mining remains a pressing concern in Ghana, with vast swaths of land and water bodies being destroyed by the activity, posing severe environmental and economic risks. As the election season heats up, the issue has become a focal point of political discourse.
The President also proposed a nonpartisan solution to tackle galamsey. He called for a political pact between the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the NDC to depoliticize the matter. Akufo-Addo noted that the NPP’s presidential candidate has already expressed willingness to sign such a pact.
“I’m asking him [Mahama] to also come out and support the idea of a political pact on galamsey,” Akufo-Addo stated. “We are yet to hear from the NDC presidential candidate.”
Akufo-Addo reaffirmed his commitment to combatting illegal mining, even at great political cost. He referenced the NPP’s poor performance in mining districts during the last election, attributing it to Mahama’s promises to reverse anti-galamsey policies.
“When I said I was putting my presidency on the line, that’s what I meant, that I was prepared to take the political risk involved in trying to deal with this galamsey phenomenon,” the President remarked. “The result, of course, was that the mining districts, especially in the Western Region, all of them, including almost nearly even Tarkwa, were lost to the NPP.”
As illegal mining continues to dominate national conversation, President Akufo-Addo’s comments raise the stakes for Mahama, with the President urging his rival to take a definitive position on one of the country’s most pressing challenges.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Emmanuel Mensah
