Akufo-Addo’s galamsey fight more effective than Mahama’s – Agyekum-Obeng

Member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Communication Team, Dr. Ezekiel Agyekum-Obeng, has argued that former President Akufo-Addo’s first-term measures against illegal mining (galamsey) were more effective than those of President John Dramani Mahama.

President Mahama has faced mounting public pressure, including calls from the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), the Coalition Against Galamsey, and other civil society groups, to declare a state of emergency in areas devastated by galamsey.

However, he has insisted that his administration will not rush into such a decision, arguing that existing laws are sufficient to tackle the menace.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, Dr. Agyekum-Obeng stressed that Akufo-Addo’s first-term efforts yielded some results, unlike Mahama’s approach, which he said has proven ineffective.

“President Mahama’s measures to solve galamsey are cos 90. At least everyone believes that for the first term of Akufo-Addo, his measures against galamsey, we could see some results,” he said.

Dr. Agyekum-Obeng further criticised recent initiatives by the Lands Ministry, describing them as failed policies that wasted public resources.

“Give me one bold step the government has made aside from sitting on camera and crying to Ghanaians. The sector minister has implemented three policies in the ministry — the yellow submarine, cos 90… it yielded nothing, zero, dissipation of state resources. Went on to the blue sky fighters, cos 90… those are the policies this government has implemented and it is cos 90,” he argued.

President Mahama, during a media encounter on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, maintained that declaring a state of emergency was unnecessary at this stage, insisting that his government has the legal tools needed to combat illegal mining effectively.