Former President and flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama has threatened to arrest and jail all miners engaged in illegal mining, commonly known as ‘galamsey,’ should he win the upcoming presidential election.
This is contrary to his earlier claims of freeing those already imprisoned for their involvement in the illegal activity.
The former president stated that no one would be spared, adding that his party would also impose a total ban on the trade.
Speaking at Aboabo No. 4 in the Dormaa Central Constituency of the Bono Region, as part of his nationwide campaign tour, Mr Mahama, seemingly responding to the recent frenzy surrounding the topic, 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.
Mahama sudden backtracking against his previous position on the galamsey menace of providing shelter for galamseyers is coming on the heels of the recent outcry of their activities in the country.
His recent remarks come at a time when he had previously promised to free illegal miners who were arrested and jailed, raising questions about his commitment to the fight against illegal mining and his honesty as a political leader.
Ahead of the 2020 general election, the former president promised to grant amnesty to all galamsey 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.
In the lead-up to the 2024 general election, he 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.
However, Mr Mahama’s 2024 NDC manifesto was silent on this amnesty promise, instead pledging a war against galamsey, leaving 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.