With Ghana’s natural resources under growing threat from illegal mining, environmental expert and Deputy Protocol Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwabena Frimpong, has raised serious concerns about what he calls the “conspicuous silence and inaction” of President John Mahama on the matter.
In a direct and strongly worded open letter, Frimpong questioned the President’s commitment to his own 120-day anti-galamsey action plan—specifically Point 19, which pledges a ban on illegal mining in forest reserves and a national rollout of land recovery initiatives.
As the countdown nears its end, Frimpong claims that very little has been done to deliver on these promises.
“Our rivers are poisoned, our lands are devastated, and our communities are suffering. Yet, the urgency we expected from the highest office remains absent,” Frimpong wrote.
He painted a grim picture of Ghana’s worsening environmental health, citing heavy mercury pollution in rivers such as Pra and Offin, degraded farmlands, and the rise of respiratory and waterborne illnesses in mining zones. Frimpong warned that the situation continues to spiral while political leadership remains passive.
“It is not just a matter of broken promises,” he stated. “It is a matter of survival.”
Frimpong did not hold back in addressing what he believes to be the real obstacles: entrenched political interests, weak enforcement of mining regulations, economic desperation among local youth, and the unchecked influence of business elites.
He also criticized the government’s failure to leverage the momentum gained from citizen-led protests and advocacy during the 2024 campaign period. Instead of sustained action, Frimpong said the administration appears to have settled into complacency.
“Members of your own party are complicit,” he said. “This is not just a national problem—it’s an internal political failure.”
To chart a way forward, Frimpong recommended immediate and decisive steps, including:
- Strengthening law enforcement against illegal miners and their financiers
- Introducing sustainable, alternative livelihoods in affected communities
- Initiating national land and water restoration programs
- Rolling out intensive public education campaigns on the long-term impact of galamsey
In a final rebuke, he urged the President to shake off what he termed a “honeymoon phase” and rise to the occasion:
“Mr. President, leadership requires action—especially when the stakes are this high.”
