When the National Democratic Congress (NDC), under John Dramani Mahama, campaigned hard against the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and its leader, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, one of their most effective tactics was the topic of galamsey, which refers to illicit mining. The NDC portrayed galamsey as the NPP government’s ultimate failure, using it as a yardstick to assess the ruling party’s inadequacies in governance, law enforcement, and environmental preservation.
During the 2023-2024 campaign season, the NDC made grandiose claims, claiming that if elected, they would eradicate galamsey within a month. They promised Ghanaians that their administration would restore order, safeguard waterways, and regain devastated farms. For many residents dissatisfied with dirty waterways and ruined fields, such a pledge represented a ray of hope.
The nation is anxiously awaiting results now that the NDC has taken power, led by President John Dramani Mahama. However, barely months into their term, their position has altered. The president now believes that a state of emergency is unnecessary, stating that galamsey is a manageable issue. However, as the situation worsens, this stance looks dangerously divorced from the realities on the ground.
Galamsey has emerged in several mining locations. It is no more the scattered activity of desperate young people brandishing shovels and pans; it has evolved into an organised and violent network, with armed gangs dominating territory, ruining rivers, and endangering national security. What was once an environmental threat is now a security concern, mirroring domestic terrorism in the early stages of ISIS or Boko Haram?
Journalists, civil society organizations, and concerned people are increasingly asking for immediate action, with some recommending declaring a state of emergency. Instead of rallying the nation to resist this threat, the new government has taken a defensive stance. Government leaders accuse the media of prejudice, arguing that it undermines the state and spreads falsehoods.
The rising distrust between the administration and the press is quite worrying. The same media outlets that fuelled the NDC’s anti-galamsey rhetoric during the campaign are now being labelled unfair and disloyal for keeping the government responsible. However, accountability is not betrayal; rather, it is the foundation of democracy.
The fact is that galamsey has become a leadership test, illustrating how simple it is to make promises in opposition while showing how tough it is to produce outcomes in power. If the administration continues to handle the situation as a public relations problem rather than a national emergency, the results might be disastrous for the environment, the economy, and national security.
Ghanaians demand honesty, not excuses. They demand leadership that puts words into action. If the NDC believes that galamsey can be abolished in one month, as they previously said, now is the moment to demonstrate it not via public declarations, but by actual outcomes.
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