When in opposition, former President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) never missed a chance to berate President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for failing to declare a state of emergency on illegal mining (galamsey). They thundered from political platforms and radio studios that nothing less than such drastic action could save Ghana’s dying rivers and endangered forests. They painted themselves as the champions of environmental protection, the voice of the voiceless, and the only party bold enough to act.
But today, now that power is back in their hands, where is that urgency? Where is that passion for the environment? Suddenly, the same NDC that demanded a state of emergency is silent, evasive, and shifting the goalposts. What has changed other than the fact that they now sit in government?
This is not only disappointing; it is shameful. It is a betrayal of trust. It is disrespect to Ghanaians. Worse still, it exposes political dishonesty the NDC said one thing in opposition only to do the opposite in office. If that is not hypocrisy, then what is?
The NDC owes Ghanaians an apology. They owe former President Akufo-Addo an apology. They rode to power on the back of promises they never intended to keep, and now the truth is catching up with them. Ghanaians did not vote for excuses; they voted for action to save our water bodies and forests from total destruction.
President Mahama and his NDC must be reminded that promises are not campaign slogans they are a contract with the people. Breaking that contract comes with consequences. If they refuse to declare a state of emergency on galamsey, as they once loudly demanded, then Ghanaians must refuse to renew their mandate.
Enough of the shifting goalposts. Enough of the deception. Enough of the hypocrisy. Ghana deserves better. And if the NDC will not honor their own words, the people must use the power of the ballot box to hold them accountable.
The devastating impact of galamsey is no longer a distant threat it is a painful reality. Our rivers, once sources of life, are now so polluted that turbidity levels are alarming. In many communities, families have lost access to safe drinking water. The crisis has grown so severe that the Ghana Water Company Limited has proposed a staggering 280% increase in tariffs between 2025 and 2029. Ordinary citizens will now pay heavily for the greed of a few illegal miners.
The destruction extends beyond water. Large tracts of cocoa farmland once the pride of Ghana’s economy have been lost. Farmers who fed the nation and earned us foreign exchange are being displaced by lawless miners. If cocoa lands vanish, what legacy are we leaving for the next generation?
The human cost is even more devastating. Galamsey has claimed countless lives, from pit collapses to unsuspecting victims falling into abandoned mining sites. Families have been left in mourning. Meanwhile, mercury and other toxic chemicals poison water bodies, devastate aquatic life, and expose entire communities to long-term health crises.
The truth is clear: the government cannot continue to fight galamsey with weak measures, half-hearted promises, and political posturing. That approach has failed and Ghanaians can see it. What is required is decisive, uncompromising action. Protecting our water, our lands, and our people must be treated as a matter of national survival.
Galamsey is not just an environmental issue it is a test of leadership, justice, and the future of Ghana. The time for excuses is over. The NDC must act, or history will remember this generation as the one that allowed greed to destroy the soul of our nation.
Long live Ghana.
