A former PNC General Secretary, Atik Mohammed, has refuted claims by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that they lost parliamentary seats in mining areas due to their fight against galamsey prior to the 2020 elections.

Although President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo won the presidential election to serve a second term, his political party, the New Patriotic Party, lost many parliamentary seats.

Party members, responding to recent calls on the government to declare a state of emergency and impose a ban on small-scale mining as part of measures to combat galamsey, have made various claims about losing their seats in galamsey communities following the President's combative approach to end the menace.

Atik Mohammed, speaking on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, stated emphatically that these claims "are not true."

To him, the President has proven beyond all doubt that he is not interested in curbing this mining canker.

"There must be a series of demonstrations and symbolic speeches to indicate to the government that we are unhappy with what is going on," he urged the citizenry.