Apologise for 'dishonourable' galamsey comment – NPP to Mahama

The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has lashed out at former President John Mahama for criticizing the government’s approach in the fight against illegal mining.

According to the governing party, the former president’s attempt to degrade the anti-galamsey fight is cheap and unfortunate.

Mahama speaking Saturday after the opposition National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) ‘Unity Walk’ in Kumasi told party enthusiasts that using soldiers to fight illegal mining won’t achieve results, adding that the measure was tried during his tenure but failed.

“The use of security personnel against our young men and women [galamseyers] is nothing new. We tried it but it didn’t work; so we introduced a new mining law to regulate the activities of small-scale miners while giving them the opportunity to earn some income,” he said.

In a reaction at a press conference Monday, the acting General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu slammed the former president for his comments saying: “If he [Mahama] is encouraging illegal mining with the promise that if he is voted for…he is going to allow it, I think that this is not proper for our country.”

“And we expect that as honourable as he is expected, he either redraw honourably and offer an unqualified apology to the boldness and the courage with which Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is addressing this menace,” he added.