Naa Atswei Nee-Okpey, a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communications Team has accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government of complicity in the ongoing ‘galamsey’ (illegal mining) crisis plaguing the country.

She argued that while the NPP claims to be fighting galamsey, their actions prove otherwise. According to her, their failure is not due to a lack of capacity but rather a deliberate disregard for the fight, as they are complicit in the illegal activities that continue to devastate Ghana’s environment.

Naa Atswei pointed out that despite the promises made by President Akufo-Addo to place his job on the line in the fight against galamsey, there is clear evidence that the government has fallen short of its commitments.

“If you permit me, I’ll give you three reasons why the NPP, having failed at the fight against galamsey, would not even succumb to lessons but will still go ahead and portray arrogance and irresponsibility,” she asserted.

The NDC communications team member further alleged that President Akufo-Addo himself is the “chief saboteur” in the fight against galamsey. Naa Atswei criticized the President for sitting on a report submitted by a government committee for two years, insinuating that the report implicates both the President and his appointees.

“If the report doesn’t implicate the President and his cohorts, I’m sure the President would have forwarded the report to the Office of the Special Prosecutor,” she said.

According to Naa Atswei, the delay only adds to suspicions that the President and key government officials are benefiting from the illegal mining activities that have contaminated rivers, destroyed lands, and endangered the livelihoods of ordinary Ghanaians.

Failure to Take Responsibility

In her interview, Naa Atswei emphasized the NPP’s refusal to take responsibility for the multiple crises facing Ghana, including environmental degradation and economic mismanagement.

She cited the government’s consistent blame-shifting for the country’s economic struggles, including attributing the depreciation of the cedi to the Russia-Ukraine war and other external factors.

“Have you ever heard any member of the NPP, from the President to the least person, take responsibility for anything in this country? Absolutely not.”
Naa Atswei Nee-Okpey, a member of NDC Communications Team

Naa Atswei criticized the government’s handling of the galamsey issue, particularly in light of recent water tariff increments. She suggested that the destruction caused by illegal mining operations has led to higher production costs, resulting in the burden being passed onto ordinary citizens.

“The same water that has been polluted by their activities is seeing tariff increments, making life harder for Ghanaians. The dirtier the water, the higher the cost of production,” she lamented.

Naa Atswei Nee-Okpey did not hold back in criticizing the financial interests that she alleges are driving the government’s inability to curb galamsey. She argued that the NPP prioritizes its political and financial gains over the welfare of Ghanaians.

As evidence, she pointed to allegations that municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs), appointees of the NPP, are deeply involved in galamsey activities.

In a scathing reference to comments made by Hajia Alima Mahama, former Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Naa Atswei recalled that the Minister had threatened to publish the names of MMDCEs involved in illegal mining but never followed through.

This, she suggested, was another instance of the NPP’s lack of accountability and transparency.

Naa Atswei further stated that the NPP is not only enabling galamsey but is actively involved in it. She pointed out that several key figures within the NPP, including former MPs and senior government officials, have been implicated in illegal mining, according to reports.

She referenced the infamous Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng report, which allegedly named individuals within the NPP who were deeply involved in galamsey activities.

She dismissed claims by NPP members that the opposition NDC was responsible for importing illegal miners, describing such assertions as baseless and unfair.

“In the Frimpong-Boateng report, the names that were mentioned, did the NDC import them?” she asked rhetorically.

One of Naa Atswei’s most poignant criticisms was directed at the human cost of galamsey, particularly its impact on children and pregnant women. She accused the government of endangering the most vulnerable populations by allowing galamsey activities to continue unchecked.

Naa Atswei Nee-Okpey called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to take responsibility for the NPP’s failures, particularly in the fight against galamsey.

She urged Ghanaians to recognize the severity of the environmental and economic damage caused by illegal mining and to hold the government accountable for its role in perpetuating the problem.