Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has delivered a stark assessment of Ghana’s fight against illegal mining, or galamsey, admitting that the nation’s efforts have failed due to political interference and partisanship.
Speaking at an Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) seminar on Tuesday, October 7, the Effutu MP and NPP member lamented how political maneuvering—especially during election campaigns—has derailed progress. He specifically pointed to the 2020 election cycle, where he claims political opponents successfully framed the government’s anti-galamsey crackdown as an attack on people’s livelihoods.
“We all failed our nation,” Afenyo-Markin stated. “During the 2020 campaign, the message was that the NPP came to take your food away, so vote against them. That messaging played a role in our losses in mining communities.”
He argued that while the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government attempted to enforce a crackdown, the then-opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) exploited the resulting economic hardship to gain political ground in mining areas.
Afenyo-Markin strongly urged political leaders to recognize that galamsey is a national crisis, not a partisan weapon. He called for an immediate end to the “blame game” and a fundamental shift toward a united, collaborative approach.
“If we continue the blame game, we won’t move forward. This issue goes beyond party lines. We need a united front and a change in mindset if we are serious about protecting our natural resources,” he concluded.
His remarks reflect the widespread public anger over the devastating environmental destruction caused by galamsey and the perceived lack of consistent political commitment to eradicate it.
