Former President and flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2024 general election, Mr. John Dramani Mahama has made a dramatic U-turn on the fight against galamsey.
He has now threatened to arrest and jail all miners engaged in illegal mining, commonly known as ‘galamsey,’ if he wins the upcoming presidential election.
According to the former president, no one would be spared in the menace.
Mr. Mahama’s current promise is contrary to his earlier pledge of freeing those already imprisoned for their involvement in the illegal activity.
This is apparently in response to calls by organised groups who are calling for a total ban on small-scale mining due to the pollution of the country’s water bodies and destruction of forests.
Pressure has been mounting on Mr. Mahama to declare his stance on the proposal to totally ban the trade in the country.
Speaking at Aboabo No. 4 in the Dormaa Central Constituency in the Bono Region as part of his nationwide campaign tour, the NDC flagbearer seemingly responding to the recent frenzy on illegal mining, vowed to eliminate all galamsey activities under his next administration.
“Not only will the new NDC administration ban galamsey, but we are also going to arrest and prosecute the galamseyers,” he declared.
This new pledge is contrary to his previous promise to free illegal miners who were arrested and jailed.
Questions are now being raised questions about Mr. Mahama’s commitment to the fight against illegal mining and his honesty as a political leader.
It would be recalled that in the lead up to the 2020 general election, former President Mahama promised to grant amnesty to all small-scale miners imprisoned under the Akufo-Addo-led government at the height of the galamsey fight if he won the election.
Speaking at Odum Banso in the Mpohor Constituency in the Western Region on October 22, 2020, Mr. Mahama questioned the incarceration of Ghanaians for mining offenses.
Again, ahead of the 2024 general election, the NDC flagbearer reiterated his intention to grant amnesty to jailed illegal miners.
At a media encounter in Accra in June 2024, Mr Mahama argued that those prosecuted were victims of circumstances, working for NPP “big men,” and should not have been jailed.
Meanwhile, Mr Mahama’s 2024 manifesto has been silent on this amnesty promise, instead pledging a war against galamsey.
This has left many to question his sincerity in fighting the menace.
Some residents of mining communities, whose relatives were imprisoned for illegal mining, have also expressed doubt about Mr Mahama’s commitment to freeing their loved ones, given his recent threats and the absence of amnesty from the NDC manifesto.
