The Western North Regional Communications Officer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Addo Yaw Harry, also known as Ogyaba, has accused President John Dramani Mahama of betraying Ghanaians in the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
In a press statement issued on Thursday, September 11, 2025, Addo Yaw Harry condemned the Presidentโs response during a press briefing on September 10, 2025, describing it as โnothing short of a betrayal.โ
According to him, President Mahamaโs refusal to declare a state of emergency on galamsey, despite the worsening environmental devastation, is a clear abandonment of the trust placed in him by Ghanaians.
Ogyaba stated that while rivers are being poisoned, forest reserves destroyed, and the cocoa industry threatened, the President insisted that existing laws were sufficient to tackle galamsey. This, he argued, showed a lack of urgency and seriousness in addressing a menace that continues to devastate the nation.
The Western North Regional Communications Officer reminded Ghanaians of President Mahamaโs previous statements while in opposition.
โMr. President, was it not you who accused your predecessor, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, of lacking the willpower to fight galamsey because his own appointees were allegedly involved? Is that the same reason you now refuse to declare a state of emergency because your own people and appointees are involved?โ Addo Yaw Harry asked.
He further highlighted President Mahamaโs earlier campaign promises, noting that the President had pledged to deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI) to combat and eradicate galamsey.
โWhat happened to that pledge? Was it only empty campaign talk?โ Ogyaba questioned, emphasizing that Ghanaians expected action rather than rhetoric.
In addition, Ogyaba reminded the President of his commitment to repeal Legislative Instrument 2462 (L.I. 2462) to ban mining in forest reserves.
He referred to it as a social covenant signed with Ghanaians on December 7, 2024, urging the President to honor this pledge to protect the environment and future generations.
The NPP official also noted the Presidentโs prior support for a state of emergency to end galamsey while in opposition.
โWhy have you suddenly turned against the very principle you championed?โ he asked, expressing disappointment at what he described as the Presidentโs silence and inaction on the matter.
According to Ogyaba, the Presidentโs weak response signals to illegal miners that they have free rein, undermining security efforts and emboldening the galamsey cartels to act more aggressively.
He described this inaction as a dangerous precedent and one of the greatest betrayals of trust in Ghanaian political history.
The NPP official outlined several urgent measures he said the President must take to redeem himself, including:
- Declaring a state of emergency on galamsey immediately.
- Deploying the military fully in the fight against illegal mining.
- Restricting the Ghanaian Gold Board (GOLDBOD) from buying gold from galamsey operators.
- Repealing L.I. 2462 to stop mining in forest reserves.
- Establishing special courts across regions to handle galamsey cases.
- Revoking the order for deporting foreign galamsey operators and allowing them to face Ghanaian law.
- Sacking and prosecuting all appointees complicit in galamsey activities.
Ogyaba accused President Mahama and his government of putting politics above people, power over principle, and betrayal over trust.
He further stated that the President had ignored the cries of the Ghana Water Company, dismissed threats from the European Union to ban cocoa exports, and turned a blind eye to the rising deaths and destruction caused by galamsey.
He concluded the statement by warning that the NPP and Ghanaians would no longer sit by as illegal mining destroys the country.
โOur lands, waters, cocoa, and future generations are at stake. Enough is enough. We will not watch President Mahama forsake Ghana,โ he asserted.
