President Akufo-Addo says he is ready to sacrifice his votes in 2020 in order to protect the environment.

According to him, he is not bothered by how many votes he loses but is more concerned about the maintenance of the environment.

The President said this during an interaction with people at Breman Asikuma in the Central Region.

He said he remains committed to safeguarding the environment for the present and future generations.

“Some young men were not happy. Some insulted and vilified me, threatening to vote against me in 2020,” President Akufo-Addo remarked.

“But what I did was to protect the environment and do what God told me will be best for Ghana. I will not think about the implications it will have on elections.”

The President led a campaign to clamp down on illegal mining when he assumed office two and half years ago.

A joint police-military task force was subsequently set up to oversee the protection of the various rivers in the country.

The task force was also given the licence to arrest anyone caught engaging in illegal mining activities, locally referred to as galamsey.

However, there have been complaints from certain quarters that the task force had been compromised and that the fight against illegal mining is faltering.