Mahama never set deadline to end galamsey – Kwakye Ofosu

Government Communications Minister, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has said that President John Dramani Mahama never set a deadline to end galamsey.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday, September 15, Mr Kwakye Ofosu stressed that President Mahama never gave timelines on ending galamsey and that assessments of his performance must be based on his own words and actions.

“To be fair, if you want to assess a president, you will have to take him by his own words and actions, the commitments that he made. President Mahama did not give any timelines to ending galamsey,” he stated.

Mr Kwakye Ofosu explained that during his recent media encounter, the President acknowledged the complexity of illegal mining and admitted that galamsey could not be eradicated instantly. “He said at the media encounter that he was not under any illusion that by the wink of a magic wand, galamsey will end because it is an insidious problem,” he added.

The Communications Minister reaffirmed that government is committed to implementing sustainable interventions to tackle galamsey, including strict enforcement of mining regulations and stronger monitoring of water bodies. He said the Mahama administration has consistently rolled out policies to combat the menace but emphasised that the problem requires a collective national effort.

“Government fully appreciates the genuine concerns people have expressed on galamsey, and these are not matters we take lightly,” Mr Kwakye Ofosu noted.

He further warned against politicising the fight against galamsey, insisting that such interference only undermines efforts to protect lives, livelihoods, and the environment. “We cannot pretend it is an easy fight, but what we can assure Ghanaians is that the government has not lost sight of its duty to protect lives, livelihoods and the environment,” he said.

Mr Kwakye Ofosu called on citizens, traditional leaders, and civil society groups to work with the government in addressing illegal mining. “We must all rally behind the measures being implemented. The survival of our water bodies and farmlands cannot be compromised,” he concluded.