The 2024 Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, four years ago - in the run-up to the 2020 general elections, promised to pardon all illegal miners (galamseyers) who have been imprisoned under the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government if he returns to power.

Speaking at Adum Banso in the Mpohor Constituency in the Western Region, to kickstart day four of his campaign tour of the region, in October 2020, Mahama stated that it is ridiculous to have a foreigner engaged in the same illegal activity released without any prosecution or fine but sentence “our very own people to these consequences.”

The former president added that he would get illegal miners back to the fields to work in a more controlled environment as captured in his party’s manifesto for the December 2020 polls.

“It’s sad. The government said it was fighting galamsey and they arrested, prosecuted, and jailed Ghanaians who were engaged in that activity but left the Chinese woman.

“Today, they are still in prison. That Chinese galamsey queen was arrested but left to go free. She was never prosecuted but our people are in jail suffering,” he said in Twi.

He added, “When we come, we shall grant all those arrested and jailed some amnesty. They will come back to their homes and work. I believe that these operators are remorseful towards any unlawful activities, so we will give them another chance. We would institute measures to check the operations of small-scale mining.”

The former president added that what hurts him the most is that when the government seizes galamsey equipment, it gives them to its proponents to continue the menace.

Watch Mahama’s remarks in the video below (from 42:00)



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