President Akufo-Addo Links Anti-Galamsey Campaign to Parliamentary Seat Losses and Policy Challenges
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has revealed that his administration’s decision to wage war against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, came with significant political and policy repercussions.
Delivering his final State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Friday, January 3, 2025, the President stated that the crackdown on galamsey not only contributed to the loss of parliamentary seats by members of his party but also hindered the implementation of key policy initiatives.
“I was very much aware that fighting galamsey was not a universally popular position for a president to take,” he remarked. “But I felt strongly enough about the need to protect our environment to say I was prepared to put my presidency on the line in the defense of our lands and water bodies.”
President Akufo-Addo disclosed that the 2020 elections, which resulted in a near-equal split in the eighth Parliament, were directly impacted by the fallout from the anti-galamsey campaign. This parliamentary composition, he noted, had ripple effects on his administration’s policy agenda during his second term.
Welcoming New Allies
Despite these challenges, the President expressed optimism about growing support for the fight against galamsey, particularly as the country approaches the 2024 elections.
“I welcome the many loud converts to the fight against galamsey that suddenly appeared in the run-up to the 2024 elections. And I pray that more and more of us get to embrace the need for the protection of our lands and water bodies,” he stated.
The President reiterated that the campaign against galamsey is not an attack on mining itself but a call for sustainable practices that safeguard the nation’s environment for future generations.
“As I have stated on numerous occasions, the fight against galamsey is not a fight against mining or the extraction of the gold the Almighty has so generously endowed us with. But we owe it to future generations of Ghanaians to extract our minerals in a manner that protects our lands and water bodies,” he concluded.
The remarks underscore President Akufo-Addo’s enduring commitment to combating illegal mining, even in the face of political and policy challenges.
