I have taken political risks in fight against galamsey – Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has revealed that he has taken significant political risks in his determined fight against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, stating that his presidency is on the line as a result.

President Akufo-Addo made this declaration during his ‘Thank You Tour’ in the Northeast Region on Tuesday, 15 October 2024, where he reflected on the challenges and criticisms surrounding his anti-galamsey campaign, which began in 2017.

Acknowledging the political toll of the fight, President Akufo-Addo emphasised his unwavering commitment to eradicating illegal mining despite the backlash.

He attributed the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) poor performance in mining districts during the 2020 general elections to the opposition’s claims about his stance on galamsey.

“In the last election [2020] in the mining districts of the country, the NPP did very badly largely because the NDC presidential candidate and the party had gone around the mining areas and said that the policy that I was implementing of trying to stop galamsey would be reversed when he comes to power, and that those who were already in jail for the offences, the galamsey offences, all of them would be amnestied,” he explained.

President Akufo-Addo reiterated that his earlier pledge to put his presidency on the line to fight galamsey reflected his readiness to face the political consequences of his actions.

“When I said I was putting my presidency on the line, that’s what I meant, that I was prepared to take the political risk involved in trying to deal with this galamsey phenomenon,” he stressed.

He pointed to the NPP’s near loss in traditionally strong mining districts, especially in the Western Region, as evidence of the political cost.

“The result, of course, was that the mining districts, especially in the Western region, all of them, including almost nearly even Tarkwa, were lost to the NPP,” he said.

In a pointed challenge to opposition leader John Dramani Mahama, Akufo-Addo called on him to clarify his position on galamsey.

“Today, he [Mahama] said that, no, he doesn’t believe in jail, that he’s against galamsey, and he will enforce the law.

"So once again, we have to ask ourselves, Mr. JM, where do you stand? What are you telling the people of Ghana? Because every time you speak, you speak from one corner of your mouth and you speak from another corner of your mouth,” Akufo-Addo remarked.