Saying I will put my presidency on the line against galamsey was not out of recklessness – Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has emphasised that he spoke the absolute truth when he announced his commitment to fighting illegal mining in Ghana.

According to the president, the evidence of truth in his statement was apparent when his government’s fight against galamsey cost himself and the New Patriotic Party during his quest for re-election in 2020.

"Since I took office on January 7th, 2017, nearly six years ago, I have made it a central feature of my presidency to lead in the fight to rid our country of this menace, which we all now call galamsey. Indeed, it was an important aspect of my inaugural address that day. It has not been easy; it has not been popular and we have not gotten the immediate results that I was looking for.

“Indeed, in the last election of 2020, my stance on the issue cost my party and I significant losses in the mining communities. It turned out that my statement that I was putting my presidency on the line in the fight against galamsey was neither bumbazed nor reckless. It was the simple truth,” the president said when he met with members of the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi on Wednesday, October 5, 2022.

The meeting with the traditional leaders was convened at the request of the president to discuss ways to fight illegal mining, which has escalated in magnitude over the past years.

This is despite the promise made by the president at his inauguration in 2017 and the various campaigns launched by his government over the period.

The growing impact of galamsey is proving a threat to several water and forest bodies across the country.

This has led to calls on the government to adopt more radical efforts in the galamsey fight.



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