Akufo Addo: I Have Taken Political Risks To Fight Against Galamsey

Addressing his Northeast Region 'Thank You Tour' on 15th October 2024, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo renews the political risks he has taken in the fight against illegal mining, popularly referred to in Ghana as galamsey.

Indeed, since 2017, this fight has been the palpable centerpiece of his presidency and has come at a great political cost to him, especially within the country's mining districts.

Akufo-Addo is unhappy with the New Patriotic Party's performance during the 2020 elections in these areas, which he says is due to opposition propaganda. He cited, for instance, former President John Dramani Mahama and his National Democratic Congress who accused the government of establishing anti-galamsey policies, promising that their victory would mean discarding such policies and releasing people found guilty of committing galamsey crimes. A reason for this situation he believes is NPP's loss of almost all mining districts, including strongholds like Tarkwa.

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It is nonetheless at great political cost, and the President has kept his vow to stop galamsey with all his might. As he said, "I put my presidency on the line," doing what he can to ensure this gets through, even if that means sacrificing his political future. He sees galamsey as a national threat that compromises the environment, public health, and the economy of the country.

However, Akufo-Addo attacked him for inconsistency, following recent remarks from Mahama that he was against galamsey, although he did not support sending the offenders to prison. He pressed Mahama to come out clear, asking, "Mr. JM, where do you stand?"