Rev John Ntim Fordjour, a member of Parliament for Assin South, has said illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, is now a criminal enterprise with apparatchiks of the NDC.
According to Ntim Fordjour, NDC MPs who went around fetching bottles of water from various rivers today cannot go and fetch them because they will have to use shovels.
He emphasised that the government, instead of deploying the Police and Military, are sending River guards who are now creating content on TikTok.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on July 30, 2025, Ntim Fordjour stated, “… Today, galamsey has evolved from being an environmental threat into a criminal enterprise with apparatchiks of the ruling government NDC scrambling for sites,” he said.
“Mr Speaker, galamsey, which our brothers on the other side went around various rivers and fetched water in bottles. Today, they are not able to go and fetch bottles because of the turbidity of those rivers; they may have to use a shovel to fetch the water and put in the caps,” he asserted.
He added, “And yet, when the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces were asking for adequate budgetary allocation to be able to go and fight head-on, they rather chose to starve the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Service, and to appoint river guards.
“River guards with no weapons, always doing all kinds of content on TikTok. That is the result of this government and that is an indication of their lack of commitment in addressing this matter,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NPP MPs, a week ago, walked out of the 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review in parliament to go and present a petition to the presidency on the menace of illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
The NPP’s petition focus is the escalating galamsey crisis, which the Minority describes as an ecological emergency and a national betrayal.
The Caucus cited data from A Rocha Ghana and Global Forest Watch showing a 17% increase in river turbidity and a 9% loss in forest cover in just six months.
They named the rivers Pra, Offin, Ankobra, and Birim as being under serious threat.
The NPP MPs also accused government and NDC officials of complicity, alleging an agreement between District Chief Executives, security officers, and illegal miners.
They are demanding:
“A State of Emergency in all illegal mining zones
A repeal of Legislative Instrument 2462, which they say enables illegal mining
Swift prosecution of all public officials found complicit
The formation of an independent national oversight body involving civil society, traditional leaders, and religious groups
The launch of a National Environmental Recovery Programme, focused on afforestation and river restoration”.
Also, the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has told President John Dramani Mahama to fulfil his pre-election galamsey pledges.
UTAG, in a statement released on Thursday, July 17, threatened to trigger an industrial action if John Mahama does not fulfil his pledges.
According to UTAG, the Mahama government lack concrete progress in the fight against galamsey.
UTAG recalled that John Mahama, in opposition before the 2024 election, signed the National Pledge Against Illegal and Irresponsible Mining, which they say he is yet to fulfil.
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