Richard Ahiagbah, the Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has pointed fingers at former President John Dramani Mahama’s “soft†approach as the root cause of the worsening illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, in Ghana. Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on April 19, 2025, Ahiagbah claimed that Mahama’s lenient stance on the issue has emboldened illegal miners and allowed the practice to spiral out of control.
According to Ahiagbah, the President’s posture during his campaign and his failure to take decisive action against galamsey have created an environment where illegal miners feel emboldened rather than deterred. He expressed that Mahama’s promises to these miners during his campaign gave them the comfort of thinking they could continue their destructive activities with little consequence. “Galamsey has worsened because the president is soft on it. His campaign compromised his position to do anything. They promised these people opportunities. Their campaign to come to office gave comfort to galamseyers,†Ahiagbah explained.
Ahiagbah criticised Mahama for not taking a strong enough stance to send a clear message that the government was serious about combating illegal mining. He remarked that Mahama's approach has lacked the firm leadership necessary to curb the devastating environmental and economic consequences of galamsey. He further pointed out that the situation has only grown worse under Mahama’s leadership, urging him to take urgent action to address the growing crisis. “Without impugning his motive and saying that he is for galamsey, his approach so far has not been stern, has not sent a strong signal that they want to fight galamsey. The extent of galamsey today is worse than he inherited, and he must do something about it,†Ahiagbah added.
The NPP communication director went on to challenge Mahama to back his “reset Ghana agenda†with tangible, firm actions against illegal mining. He warned that the continued inaction would undermine the country’s broader efforts to curb the damage caused by galamsey, including the destruction of forests, water bodies, and the livelihoods of many Ghanaians. “President Mahama, in the context of their reset agenda, should be setting certain clear signals out there that they are against this galamsey thing. But somehow they haven’t, and everything they have done so far has not provided any incentive for the galamseyers to say that this is a no-go area. Rather, they appear to have given them the leeway to be doing galamsey,†he asserted.
However, amidst Ahiagbah’s criticisms, Dr. Rashid Tanko Computer, CEO of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC), offered a more optimistic outlook on the country’s efforts to tackle illegal mining. He expressed confidence that the recently established Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) and the new regulatory framework surrounding gold trading would help curb illegal mining and ensure that Ghana derives maximum benefit from its mineral resources. This came after the Ghana Gold Board Act (Act 1140) was passed in Parliament on March 29, 2025, and assented to by the President on April 2, 2025, effectively annulling all previous licenses issued by the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC).
As the debate over Ghana’s fight against galamsey continues to intensify, both political and industry leaders remain focused on finding sustainable solutions to address the environmental and economic challenges posed by illegal mining.