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Former President John Mahama has asked President NanaAkufo-Addo to resign for failing to ensure that illegal mining popularly known as galamsey has ended in the country.
The NDC flag bearer said this will be in line with the president’s promise to leave his seat if he does not address the canker.
“Akufo-Addo has failed in the fight against ‘galamsey’, so if he has risked his term, he probably should not run for the next presidency, he should resign now,” he said.
In an interview, on Joy Prime, the NDC presidential candidate highlighted that Akufo-Addo’s ‘Operation Vanguard’ has been one of the poorest responses to illegal mining in the country.
President Akufo-Addo, before taking office in 2017, promised to end galamsey in the country.
The President, Nana Akufo-Addo, risked her presidency with a commitment to end illegal small-scale mining in the country.
Gathering the traditional leaders of Ghana, he said that if there is one right thing to do, it is for everyone to fight against galamsey, claim the lands and leave for posterity a “green country” and a “clean space”.
Introduced Operation Vanguard [a task force set up by government to combat galamsey in the country], as well as the Community Mining Program that aims to guarantee safe and responsible mining in the country.
These were part of the measures to combat illegal mining in the country.
In his 2020 state of the nation address to Parliament, the president praised his government for achievements in the fight, although he admitted that there are still some challenges that need to be addressed.
But Mahama said that using military force has never been the correct approach to combat illegal mining.
“In our time, we also used that approach, but we realized that it did not lead to anything positive. That is not the correct way to do it. You cannot use force of arms to combat illegal mining, ”he said.
The former president added that bodies of water are still polluted, while lands and other natural resources are also being depleted from galamsey’s activities.
Mahama said that the NPP government has performed abysmally in terms of the galamsey struggle.
He said that fighting galamsey required good policies and ensuring their implementation.
“That is why it is necessary to bring some incentives and provide better supervision to the sector,” he added.
