Stop contradicting yourself and tell Ghanaians your position on galamsey – Akufo-Addo to Mahama

• Posted on October 16, 2024October 16, 2024
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on John Dramani Mahama, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, to clarify his stance on the fight against illegal mining, known as galamsey.

Akufo-Addo criticised Mahama for what he described as contradictory and inconsistent statements on the issue.

He urged Mahama to provide a clear and firm position on how he intends to tackle the problem, given its impact on Ghana’s environment and resources.

The President’s remarks come as illegal mining remains a major concern, threatening natural resources and livelihoods across the country.

Speaking to Chiefs in North East during his thank you tour on Tuesday, Akufo-Addo noted that “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?

“What are you telling the people of Ghana? Because 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.”

The President also proposed a nonpartisan approach to address the galamsey issue, suggesting that both parties commit to a political pact.

“The candidate, the NPP presidential candidate has gone on record as saying that as far as he’s concerned, he is prepared to sign a pact that would take the galamsey issue out of our politics, to depoliticise it, to commit him and our party, all of us agreeing that we would deal with this galamsey phenomenon on a nonpartisan basis. We are yet to hear from the NDC presidential candidate. I’m asking him to also come out and support the idea of a political pact on galamsey,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo reiterated his commitment to combating galamsey, even at the risk of political consequences.

“This galamsey matter, which has risen a lot in Ghana today. The last election in the mining districts of the country, the NPP did very badly largely because the NDC presidential candidate and the party had gone around the mining areas and saying that the policy that I was implementing of trying to stop galamsey would be reversed when he came to power and that those who were already in jail for offenses, the galamsey offenses, all of them would be amnestied.”

“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 result, of course, was that the mining districts, especially in the western region, all of them, including almost nearly even Tarkwa, was lost to the NPP. That is what I meant when I said I’m putting my presidency on the line, that I was prepared to take the political risk involved in coming to grips with this problem,” he stated.