Dennis Miracles Aboagye, a close aide to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, criticized the current administration Wednesday for what he described as a politicization of Ghana’s ongoing illegal mining crisis, urging the government to focus on enforcement rather than partisan blame.
Speaking on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV, Mr. Aboagye pushed back against attempts to tie the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to the illegal small-scale mining trade—locally known as galamsey—arguing that responsibility now lies squarely with the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“The NPP is no longer in government. The mandate is now with the NDC. Fix the problem,” he said. “Wonder Madilo and his people should stop talking about the NPP. For now, the NPP doesn’t matter.”
Mr. Aboagye alleged that elements within the governing party are deeply involved in illegal mining operations. “The NDC is heavily involved in galamsey,” he claimed. “When we went around Akwatia and Ayensuano, they are heavily present.”
Illegal mining has long been a politically sensitive issue in Ghana, particularly due to its devastating environmental effects and widespread impact on river systems. Mr. Aboagye described extensive damage he said he witnessed firsthand along the Offin and Pra rivers, accusing local enforcement of turning a blind eye.
“With the Offin River, the galamseyers have diverted the river’s path and are actively mining in it,” he said. “There’s even a police checkpoint nearby, and yet mining continues openly.”
On the Pra River, he added, five large-scale floating excavators known as chamfans were operating directly on the water, making it “so noisy that when we flew our drones, they couldn’t hear or see them.”
His remarks come amid renewed scrutiny of the government's anti-galamsey efforts, which many environmentalists and civil society groups have criticized as ineffective. The sector, largely informal and often unregulated, has led to widespread deforestation and contamination of major water bodies with mercury and other toxic substances.
Mr. Aboagye’s comments underscore the broader challenge Ghana faces in depoliticizing the fight against illegal mining—an issue that has defied successive governments despite numerous task forces and policy interventions.
