Galamsey: Read the four proposals NPP's Ahiagbah is proposing to Mahama

The Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has called for a decisive and robust approach from the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government in combating illegal mining activities, commonly known as galamsey.

According to him, galamsey must be delinked from politics to enable a unified national effort to address the menace and preserve the country’s natural resources.

Galamsey: President Mahama hot as bishops pile more pressure

In a statement on X on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Ahiagbah proposed four interventions to the government, which he believes, if implemented, could strengthen the fight against galamsey.

He proposed that the government identify and prosecute individuals reportedly aligned with the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) who are involved in galamsey activities.

“Fish out and punish the NDC members and operatives engaged in galamsey. Such people, members of the NDC, are the ones reportedly ravaging our forests and water bodies with impunity because of their proximity to power. They must cease and desist. Mr President, this requires political will, and you must know that Ghanaians will commend you,” he said.

Additionally, the NPP executive urged the government to desist from striking business deals with illegal miners and from purchasing gold from such individuals.

He, instead, suggested that the government seize and arrest the illegal miners for destroying river bodies and forest reserves while profiting from the sale of their gold.

“… President Mahama, instead of purchasing illegal gold, your government should confiscate and arrest the galamseyers at the point of sale, for destroying our forests and water bodies to arrive at the gold they have brought to sell. Anything short of arresting galamseyers at the point of sale or the government's continuous purchase of galamsey gold makes you, Mr President, through the Goldbod, THE CHIEF PROMOTER of galamsey because you have created a market for their illicit enterprise…” he continued.

Ahiagbah also added that declaring a limited state of emergency to protect the forests and restore water bodies will make it easier for the taskforces and military deployed to the affected galamsey areas to secure them.

Read Kwakye Ofosu's reply to Ghanaians call for accountability on 'galamsey'

Ahiagbah urged the president to continue where former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo left off by fast-tracking the prosecution of illegal mining cases.

“Mr President, enforce the measure Akufo-Addo instituted following his engagement with Organized Labor to fast-track the prosecution of illegal mining cases. Sir, your government can go a step further by directing the Attorney-General to televise all galamsey trials to expose the 'evil' and greedy Ghanaians behind the galamsey enterprise that is killing and endangering the future of our society,” he wrote.

Ghana has crossed the rubicon; we need honest, decisive action and leadership to contain the situation. The politics around galamsey must give way for a national effort to preserve our forests and water bodies for ourselves and posterity. @FelixKwakyeOfo1, the Minister… pic.twitter.com/GwxqkSO174

— Richard Ahiagbah (@RAahiagbah) September 17, 2025