Dennis Miracles Aboagye, an aide to New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has alleged that individuals he describes as senior figures with links to the current administration are involved in illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, and says he will soon publicly name them.
Speaking on GTV Breakfast Daily on Wednesday, 29 April, Miracles Aboagye claimed that illegal mining activities are being enabled by high-level political protection, raising fresh questions about enforcement and political accountability in the fight against galamsey.
“I will, in the next few days, mention senior members, very top officials, who are close to this government and are actively operating in the galamsey space in this country,” he said. “Our river bodies are dying; some are no longer flowing, and others have virtually come to a standstill.”
His comments add to long-running political debate over alleged complicity of state actors in illegal mining activities, which continue to threaten water bodies, forest reserves and farmlands across the country.
Miracles Aboagye also argued that the scale of illegal mining operations suggests systemic enforcement failures, insisting that there is widespread impunity in the sector.
He further questioned the handling of excavators imported into the country, alleging that they are not being properly tracked or controlled. According to him, claims that the machines are monitored have not translated into effective enforcement on the ground.
He accused authorities of failing to take decisive action and suggested that economic interests may be taking precedence over environmental protection and long-term national interest.
The allegations are likely to heighten political tensions around the government’s anti-galamsey campaign, which has faced persistent scrutiny despite repeated pledges by successive administrations to curb illegal mining.
Source: asaaseradio.com
