Akufo-Addo: I risked my presidency to combat galamsey in 2020

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has declared that he has taken considerable political risks, even putting his presidency on the line, in his ongoing efforts to tackle illegal mining, known as galamsey. Since pledging to fight galamsey in 2017, his commitment has faced strong opposition and criticism.

During his ‘Thank You Tour’ in the Northeast Region on Tuesday, October 15, Akufo-Addo reaffirmed his resolve to eliminate galamsey, emphasizing that he stands by his word, regardless of the potential political fallout.

Reflecting on the 2020 elections, the president noted the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) poor performance in mining areas, attributing the decline to false claims spread by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama. Akufo-Addo explained that these claims led to significant losses for the NPP, particularly in mining districts.

“In the last election [2020] 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 said that the policy that I was implementing of trying to stop galamsey would be reversed when he comes to power and that those who were already in jail for offences, the galamsey offences, all of them would be amnestied,” he remarked.

Akufo-Addo further elaborated on the political risks he took in his fight against galamsey. “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.”

He also challenged Mahama to clearly state his position on illegal mining. “Today, he [Mahama] said 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, Mr. 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.”

The president’s remarks underscored his continued commitment to fighting galamsey despite the political consequences.

Source:dailymailgh.com