Galamsey today is worse than it was in 2024 – Miracles Aboagye

The National Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has claimed that illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, has worsened under the current administration compared with the situation in 2024.

He has challenged the government to account for its campaign promises on tackling illegal mining, arguing that the measures being implemented have failed to produce the environmental improvements Ghanaians were assured of before the National Democratic Congress (NDC) assumed office.

Mr Aboagye said the continued pollution of water bodies, the persistence of illegal mining activities and the recent deaths of six people during a confrontation linked to anti-galamsey operations raise questions about the effectiveness of the government's strategy.

Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile on Saturday, November 14, he criticised the approach adopted by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), questioning why enforcement operations were focused on tracking excavators when, according to him, illegal mining activities taking place openly and supported by audio and video evidence had not been adequately addressed.

“What the hell are you doing on the streets transporting excavators when you have audios and videos and daytime galamsey which you haven't dealt with? What are you doing? What are you doing killing people when you haven't even arrested those in broad daylight?” he asked.

His comments follow a confrontation involving residents, suspected illegal miners and NAIMOS personnel at Manso Keniago in the Ashanti Region.

The incident reportedly occurred on Wednesday afternoon when some residents and suspected illegal miners attempted to prevent NAIMOS personnel from tracking excavators seized from the area.

The confrontation resulted in the deaths of six people, prompting renewed scrutiny of the government's anti-galamsey operations and the methods being used to enforce mining regulations.

Mr Aboagye questioned whether the loss of lives had translated into any meaningful progress in the fight against illegal mining, pointing to the continued pollution of water bodies as evidence of the problem.

“Look at this water. These six people who are dead, has the water colour changed? What did they die for?” he queried.

He criticised what he described as attempts to manage public reaction to the incident through statements and appeals without sufficiently addressing the underlying challenges confronting the anti-galamsey campaign.

The NPP communications director also accused the NDC government of failing to demonstrate a significant departure from the policies and enforcement methods used by previous administrations.

He recalled that before the 2024 general election, the NDC had presented Ghanaians with a roadmap outlining how it intended to tackle illegal mining if elected into office.

According to him, those commitments were contained in the party's manifesto and campaign materials and formed part of the assurances given to voters.

He has therefore challenged the government to identify the specific measures it has implemented and explain why the situation has not improved.

“These people, before they came to office, gave us a roadmap. It's still in their manifesto and it's still on their campaign videos. They told us, vote for us when we come, these are the things we will do. The barest minimum, which ones have they done?” he asked.

Mr Aboagye argued that the government must be judged not only by the policies it announces but also by the results those interventions deliver.

He said even if some of the promised measures had been implemented, the administration had a responsibility to explain why they had not produced the expected outcomes.

“And the ones they have done, if it hasn't given us results, then what is their explanation?” he added.

He further maintained that the current administration had not introduced any fundamentally different approach to the galamsey crisis since assuming office.

“Ever since they came to office, there is not a single thing they have done that is different from what is being done in the past,” he stated.

Mr Aboagye insisted that the deaths at Manso Keniago should not be treated as an isolated incident or overshadowed by government communications.

He called on the authorities responsible for combating illegal mining to explain the circumstances surrounding the confrontation and account for the effectiveness of their operations.

He also questioned the decision to focus on the movement and tracking of seized excavators while, in his view, individuals involved in openly conducted illegal mining activities had not faced corresponding enforcement action.

“The situation at hand, we must call the people who are responsible for dealing with this thing out. We shouldn't allow them to be doing PR with this situation,” he said.

He maintained that the government had made specific commitments to address the menace and must now demonstrate that those promises are being translated into tangible results.

“The fact of the matter is that they gave us specific things that they will do to solve the problem. The situation is worse,” he added.