With President John Dramani Mahama preparing for a second term beginning in 2026, criticism has emerged from the opposition over the government’s handling of the fight against illegal mining, known as galamsey.
Awal Mohammed, a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) communications team, says the Mahama administration has failed to demonstrate any real shift in strategy since taking office, arguing that actions taken so far merely repeat what was already being done before the 2024 elections.
Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show, Mr Mohammed dismissed claims of progress, insisting that enforcement measures touted by the government cannot be described as new or decisive.
“I think the government has really done nothing. Yes, that I can say emphatically,” he said, questioning what has fundamentally changed since the change in administration.
He argued that arrests, prosecutions and the seizure — and even destruction — of excavators were already standard practice in 2024 under the previous government, making it difficult to credit the current administration with innovation in the fight against galamsey.
“In 2024 we were doing arrests. We were even burning excavators. We were jailing people,” he noted.
Mr Mohammed also revisited President Mahama’s campaign-era comments in which the then-opposition leader suggested granting amnesty to some young people involved in illegal mining, while targeting the powerful financiers behind the operations. According to the NPP communicator, that rhetoric has had unintended consequences.
In his view, the messaging has emboldened influential actors within the illegal mining sector rather than dismantling their networks, weakening deterrence and enforcement.
He further expressed alarm over what he described as a growing sense of fearlessness among galamsey operators, citing recent reports of violent confrontations involving security personnel.
Mr Mohammed pointed to an incident in which, according to him, a sitting Member of Parliament allegedly mobilised individuals to attack military officers at a police station, calling the development unprecedented.
“In the last year, this is the first time we are hearing an MP organised a group of people to attack military people in a police station,” he claimed.
Illegal mining remains one of Ghana’s most pressing national challenges, blamed for severe environmental degradation, polluted water bodies and serious public health risks. While the Mahama administration has repeatedly promised to intensify enforcement, critics — particularly within the NPP — argue that political interference and lack of political will continue to undermine the fight.
The comments by Awal Mohammed add to the intensifying political debate over whether the government’s approach to galamsey represents continuity, reform or regression as Ghana heads toward Mahama’s second term.
