Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, has launched a sharp critique of the Akufo-Addo administration, accusing it of being at the heart of Ghana’s ongoing environmental crisis.
Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News on Thursday, May 8, Gbande claimed the government actively enabled the destruction of forest reserves and water bodies by failing to properly regulate mining activities.
“We all know that the cumulative degradation of our forest reserves and water bodies was supervised, incentivized, granted, and approved by President Akufo-Addo and his Minister for Lands, with the involvement of his appointees,” Gbande alleged, drawing a direct line between government leadership and the illegal mining activities—commonly referred to as ‘galamsey’—ravaging Ghana’s ecosystems.
He criticised regulatory institutions for failing to live up to their responsibilities, stating, “You have a responsibility through these institutions to supervise the mining activity—they couldn’t do that.”
Gbande also contrasted the current government’s handling of environmental protection with that of the NDC’s recent approach, pointing to a surge in enforcement under the new leadership.
“If we have come, and within four months you have seen the aggression with which the military, the police, and infact national security are combatting mining-related crime, then it tells you who’s serious about saving Ghana’s environment,” he said.
