Kwabena Agyepong, a senior campaign advisor to Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, claims the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is using the issue of illegal mining, commonly known as “galamsey,” as a political tool to divert attention from their lack of a campaign message ahead of the December 7 polls.
Speaking on The Point of View programme on Channel One TV on Monday, October 7, 2024, the former General Secretary of the NPP claimed that the renewed focus on galamsey is a calculated attempt to discredit the Akufo-Addo administration as the 2024 general elections approach.
According to him, the opposition party is deliberately amplifying the illegal mining problem to create public disaffection for the government.
While acknowledging that galamsey is a serious challenge, Agyepong argued that the NPP government has made significant efforts to address it through various initiatives.
He further claimed that the NDC’s criticism is a diversion tactic to shift focus from its own failures on the issue during its time in office.
“If you are a political party [NDC] which wants to an election, you will 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? That 60 days to elections, what has changed? In the heat of a campaign.
“We have elections, if it’s a genuine concern, then the proponents of that should have a plan and sit 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 to go to the areas and engage with the people.”
In recent weeks, there has been increasing pressure on the government to take stronger action against illegal mining. Organised Labour has been at the forefront of these demands, calling on President Akufo-Addo to declare a state of emergency on galamsey and threatening to embark on a nationwide strike on October 10, 2024, if the government does not take more decisive action.
In response to these pressures, Agyepong suggested that the NDC’s flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, has not presented any concrete policies to tackle the issue. He contrasted this with Dr. Bawumia’s stance, which he said includes clear plans for addressing galamsey.
Meanwhile, the government has recently announced its intention to revoke the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, 2023 (L.I. 2462) when Parliament reconvenes. This move aims to bolster the legal framework regulating 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 planned to eliminate illegal operations in these regions.
Agyepong maintained that the NPP government remains committed to tackling galamsey, despite the opposition’s attempts to politicize the issue.
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