Kwabena Agyepong, a senior campaign adviser to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has accused the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of deliberately using the renewed focus on illegal mining, commonly known as “galamsey,” to damage the reputation of the ruling government.
During an appearance on The Point of View program on Channel One TV on Monday, October 7, 2024, Agyepong claimed that the recent emphasis on the galamsey issue is politically motivated and designed to generate public discontent against the Akufo-Addo-led administration.
As the former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Agyepong argued that the NDC is intentionally highlighting the illegal mining issue to cast the NPP government in a negative light as the 2024 general elections approach.
While he acknowledged that galamsey remains a significant challenge in Ghana, he emphasized that the NPP government has already taken steps to address illegal mining through various initiatives.
Recently, there has been a renewed call for stronger action against illegal mining, with several stakeholders, including Organised Labour, urging President Akufo-Addo to declare a state of emergency on the issue.
Organised Labour has even threatened a nationwide strike, scheduled for October 10, 2024, to demand more aggressive measures to combat the menace.
However, Agyepong contends that the NDC is weaponizing the galamsey issue to distract from its own failures in handling the problem during its time in office.
He argued that if the NDC were genuinely committed to ending galamsey, its flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, would have proposed specific policies to address the issue, similar to those put forward by Dr. Bawumia.
“…[If you have genuine concerns] you [NDC] would not be creating or orchestrating chaos in the country. At that time, all the people making noise, were they not in this country? So what has changed? With 60 days to elections, what has changed? In the heat of a campaign.
“We have elections; if it’s a genuine concern, then those advocating for it should have a plan and engage with the two key parties. What is happening is very sad for our country. We don’t do galamsey in Accra; if you are serious about it, you’ve got to go to the areas and engage with the people.”
In response to the mounting pressure from various groups, the government has announced plans to revoke the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, 2023 (L.I. 2462) when Parliament reconvenes.
This move aims to strengthen the legal framework surrounding mining activities in protected areas.
Additionally, the government reiterated its commitment to declaring water bodies and forest reserves as “Red Zones” for mining, with stricter enforcement measures to eliminate illegal mining operations in these areas.
