Mahama unfit for presidency over galamsey activities — KNUST-UTAG President

The President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Prof Eric Abavare, has made a statement regarding the role of former President John Dramani Mahama in addressing the galamsey menace.

Prof Eric Abavare argued that Mahama "doesn't qualify" to return to the presidency due to his past administration's handling of illegal mining activities.

Galamsey has become a significant environmental and socio-political issue in Ghana.

The practice has led to the degradation of water bodies, deforestation, and soil erosion, causing lasting harm to the country's natural resources.

Efforts to curb galamsey have yielded mixed results, as successive governments have adopted different strategies, yet the problem endures.

Prof. Eric Abavare voiced his disapproval of Mahama's recent remarks, particularly his promise during the 2020 election campaign to pardon all individuals imprisoned for illegal mining under the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration if he returns to power.

Galamsey Galamsey Pulse Ghana

In Prof. Abavare's view, Mahama's previous lack of decisive action disqualifies him from once again leading the nation.

Speaking to Joy News on Thursday, September 12, 2024, Prof Eric Abavare, admonished Mahama for the defence he mounted for galamsey operators, alias illegal small-scale miners.

"He doesn't even qualify to be the president of Ghana," Prof Abavare remarked.

"This issue of galamsey, we know the solution, we know those involved, we know what we can do to solve it. The issue is that we don’t want to do it," he lamented.

He, also, called the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) former leader President Nana Akufo-Addo a "big liar – I am sad because I have to say this on-air."

"Once upon a time, when issues of Prof Frimpong Boateng, the former minister of environment, was seizing people's excavators, the president made us believe he was doing the wrong thing...

"Nana Addo has all the powers to stop galamsey if he wants to. The point is that he doesn’t want to," he added. "He has all it takes to stop galamsey now... If they are not willing to solve the problem, they must not be in office," Prof Abavare noted.

Prof Abavare said: "If the president really wants to solve it, he will say that from now on he does not want to see any earthmoving machine on our road anywhere. That statement alone will suffice."

According to him, the former president lacked the political will to implement stringent measures that could have halted galamsey during his administration.