Galamsey Became A Big Tool To Discredit Akufo-Addo

Salam Mustapha, the National Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has claimed that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the ruling NPP were purposefully used as a weapon in the controversial subject of illicit mining, often known as galamsey.

On Saturday, August 16, 2025, Mustapha made the case at a panel discussion on Joy Prime TV that the opposition’s use of the galamsey issue was not motivated by a sincere concern for environmental preservation, but rather by political propaganda.

He said that by implementing measures like Operation Vanguard, sending out military task groups, and digitizing mining permits, President Akufo-Addo’s administration made great progress against illicit mining. But he claimed that “deliberate propaganda geared to make the administration look like it had failed” overpowered these efforts.

“Galamsey was never just about the environment—it became a political weapon. It was deliberately used to damage the reputation of President Akufo-Addo and the NPP, regardless of the efforts we made to stop it,” Mustapha stressed.

He further claimed that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) turned the public discourse on galamsey into a partisan battlefield, framing the NPP government as complicit in the destruction of Ghana’s lands and water bodies.

Background to the Galamsey Debate

Illegal mining has been one of Ghana’s most heated political and environmental issues over the past decade. While successive governments have pledged to fight it, critics argue that the menace persists due to political interference and the involvement of influential individuals.

President Akufo-Addo, in his first term, famously declared his resolve to put his presidency on the line to end galamsey. Despite this, several reports, including investigations by journalists and civil society organizations, suggested that some government officials and party actors were themselves complicit in protecting galamsey operators.

This, opposition parties argued, undermined the president’s credibility.

Political Implications

Salam Mustapha’s remarks come at a time when the NPP is working to defend its record ahead of the 2024 elections, with galamsey still a topical issue in national discourse. His comments appear aimed at reframing the narrative, suggesting that the controversy surrounding illegal mining was less about governance failures and more about political sabotage.

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Analysts, however, say that regardless of political propaganda, the persistence of galamsey remains a sore point for many Ghanaians who continue to witness the destruction of rivers, forests, and farmlands.

Mustapha’s claims highlight the deeply political nature of the galamsey conversation in Ghana, where environmental concerns are often entangled with party politics. As the 2024 election season draws closer, illegal mining is expected to remain a rallying point for both the NPP and NDC.