Special Aide to former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Akosua Manu has highlighted the double standards of President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in their approach to combating illegal mining commonly referred to as galamsey.
According to her, while in opposition, Mr Mahama and his party relentlessly attacked the erstwhile Akufo-Addo administration, accusing it of complicity and demanding radical action to end the menace. Yet, since assuming office in January 2025, President Mahama has failed to outline a clear strategy to deal with the menace.
“Ghanaians deserve to know what exactly President Mahama plans to do about galamsey. In opposition, he made all the noise and criticised every intervention of the NPP. Today, the problem is worse, and yet, he and his appointees have gone silent,” she said.
Speaking on Adom TV’s Badwam on Friday, September 19, 2025, Madam Akosua Manu called out key NDC figures who had previously championed aggressive state action against illegal mining. She recalled that during the heated 2024 elections, leading voices such as Communications Minister Sam George, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, Lands and Natural Resources Minister Kofi Armah Buah, and Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa openly demanded a state of emergency in mining areas but have since kept mute as their government is in power.
“Today, these same individuals sit comfortably in government but have abandoned their calls. They owe the people of Ghana an apology,” she added.
The NPP 2024 Parliamentary Candidate for the Adentan Constituency contrasted the silence of the Mahama administration with the clear blueprint laid out by then-NPP flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, in the party’s 2024 manifesto. She noted that Dr Bawumia’s plan included comprehensive geological investigations to map out gold deposits before any exploration, a step she described as “the sustainable and scientific way” to deal with galamsey while safeguarding the environment.
“The NPP presented a structured and forward-looking solution. What has the NDC offered beyond rhetoric?” Akosua Manu quizzed.
She urged President Mahama to move beyond political talk and present concrete solutions, stressing that the fight against galamsey is too critical to be reduced to partisan slogans.
