When President Akufo-Addo publicly put his presidency on the line in 2017 to fight the raging galamsey menace, the majority of Ghanaians, including myself, thought that the president meant well and was fully committed to fighting the cancer.

The damning report on the anti-illegal mining (galamsey) by the former Environment Minister and Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Community on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has betrayed the public pronouncements of the president.

The expose of Prof. Frimpong-Boateng has categorically cited top officials of this government whose actions have facilitated activities of galamsey even in forest reserves.

The report is replete with names such as Gabby Otchere-Darku (cousin of the president), Lord Commey, the late Sir John, NPP Constituency and Unit Committee officials, etc., whose actions are contrary to the fight against the ongoing galamsey operations. The story of Mr. Charles Bissiw, a former secretary to the IMCIM, is worthy of mention here.

The most shocking revelation is the reported galamsey operation, which took place in Akufo-Addo’s garden at his Kyebi home, and no arrest was made. It turned out that the NPP youth organizer was involved. The inaction of the president with respect to the damning report by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng over the past two years is indeed worrying.

The exploitation of all kinds of mineral resources via mining often has devastating social and environmental costs. However, this unchecked galamsey phenomenon in Ghana has not only destroyed the natural vegetation, ecosystems, and water bodies but also devastated cocoa farmlands and created serious health implications for Ghanaians now and in the years ahead.

The leaked report of Prof. Frimpong-Boateng by Kevin Taylor of Loudsilencenews.com gives a final verdict of a lack of gargantuan political will in the fight against the galamsey menace. It also revealed the EMPTY POLITICAL PROMISE of President Akufo-Addo by putting his presidency on the line without commensurate and noticeable actions.

Those (‘presidential galamseyers’) who needed to help President Akufo-Addo succeed actually succeeded in helping him fail miserably in the fight against galamsey. Very regrettable!

The legacy of President Akufo-Addo is seriously marred by the rhetoric of fighting GALAMSEY and CORRUPTION, and posterity will not judge him kindly after his presidency. Our natural environment, which all of us depend on, is seriously crying for help. Let us all hold President Akufo-Addo responsible for the devastation of our Forest Reserves and farmlands!

The galamsey fight under the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia regime has been defeated. More action is thus needed immediately than simply speaking about this dangerous environmental menace before it is too late for Ghana to act.