The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has launched a scathing attack on President John Dramani Mahama, accusing him of having zero genuine commitment to eradicating the illegal mining menace known as galamsey.
This accusation from the NPP’s Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagbah, follows the President’s recent rejection of calls for a state of emergency to combat the issue. During a media engagement, Mahama argued that existing laws already grant the state ample power to act decisively without resorting to such extreme measures.
“I’ve been reluctant to implement a state of emergency… because we’ve not exhausted the powers we even have without it,” Mahama stated. “We have the opportunity to arrest anybody, to confiscate equipment. The laws for forest protection give us enough authority to be able to act.”
However, on Citi FM’s The Big Issue, Ahiagbah dismissed the President’s stance as vague and indicative of a failure of leadership. He challenged the President to name the specific, unused laws he was referencing.
“President Mahama tells us a state of emergency isn’t needed, that there are laws on the books we haven’t exhausted. I was left wondering—what are those laws?” Ahiagbah questioned. “We have arrested people. We have confiscated equipment. Everything has been done. So what law is he talking about, and if it exists, why isn’t he using it?”
When pressed on the President’s motive, Ahiagbah was unequivocal: “Lack of interest in fighting the thing. Lack of interest.”
The communications director escalated his criticism by alleging a major government scandal. He claimed that GoldBod, a state-owned entity, is actively purchasing gold from illegal miners, a practice he described as legitimizing criminal enterprise.
“The president admitted that GoldBod is buying galamsey gold. That is a terrible situation—a state-established entity is engaged in business with an illegal operation. That is scandalous. That is something you want to impeach somebody about,” Ahiagbah declared.
He drew a sharp contrast with the recent removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo over a travel documentation scandal, questioning the apparent double standard.
“We removed a Chief Justice for a procedural error, but a state company can fund the very criminals destroying our nation and it’s okay? What I am saying is that the president is running away from fighting galamsey.”
