Archbishop Kwofie urges Mahama to fulfill galamsey promise

The Most Reverend John Bonaventure Kwofie, Catholic Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to honour his commitment to eradicate illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, within his first 120 days in office.​

Delivering a homily on Easter Sunday, April 21, at the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Accra, Archbishop Kwofie reminded the President of his pledge to end galamsey activities, including those in forest reserves.

He emphasized the urgency of the situation, noting that over 100 days have passed since the President’s inauguration, leaving less than 20 days to fulfill the promise.

“The Catholic Church is concerned about galamsey activities because they are ‘killing’ the public. The Ghanaian public placed a big trust in you. This trust is ephemeral; we can easily forget. Mr. President, know this: eyes are watching you.

He emphasised, “…We take this promise seriously because galamsey is killing us. 120 days, yes, you crossed the 100 line a few days ago, and you are left with less than 20 days. We want to remind you; we voted you into office because of your stance on galamsey and many other evils plaguing our country. In fact, you displayed the high ethical standard we need in our politics in Ghana. We think you can do it.”

He further highlighted the detrimental impact of illegal mining on the environment and communities, urging decisive action to protect the nation’s natural resources.

The Archbishop also revealed that illegal miners from various West African countries, including Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Togo, and Guinea, were reportedly operating in areas such as Abrewa Nne Nkran.

“Let’s have men like Nana Bosompem, men with integrity and courage, who would not ask where we went right or wrong in the legal system, and our forestry will return to normal,” he suggested.

Archbishop Kwofie emphasized the transformative power of Jesus Christ’s resurrection.​

“Never before has someone reported news such as this. It has never happened in our common history, and indeed no one understood it. But Christ has risen to put to shame those who said there was no resurrection.”

“This is dying to the ‘old man’ of injustice, wickedness, infidelity, and disrespect, and rising to the ‘new man’ of justice, respect for one another, and faithfulness in everything we do.”