Vice Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has admonished NDC flagbearer, former President John Dramani Mahama, to desist from playing politics with the issue of illegal mining, popularly known in Ghanaian parlance as "galamsey".

According to Dr. Opoku Prempeh, the former Ghanaian leader’s past and present utterances on the matter smack of an individual seeking to profit from the menace politically and without putting the interest of the country on the front burner.

Dr. Opoku Prempeh, affectionately called "NAPO", made this call when he addressed the 13th Biennial Conference and 40th anniversary of the Association of Methodist Men’s Fellowships as Guest of Honour on Saturday, September 14, 2024, at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

In his view, past incidents and statements on the subject matter make him wonder if indeed the former President is committed to fighting the canker.

In 2020, some leading NDC bigwigs were captured on video touring and encouraging illegal miners to continue the menace in exchange for their vote for the NDC to protect their illegality.

This act, according to NAPO, resulted in the NPP losing most of its parliamentary seats in the mining communities because the people saw the "NDC as a friend and the NPP the enemy. NPP sacrificed those seats because we put Ghana first".

Dr. Prempeh also cited John Mahama’s promise to grant amnesty to all galamsey miners imprisoned under the Akufo-Addo government if he wins the election.

Speaking at Odum Banso in the Mpohor constituency in the Western Region on October 22, 2020, Mahama questioned the incarceration of Ghanaians for mining offences.

However, in a sudden U-turn, the NDC flagbearer threatened to arrest and jail all miners engaged in illegal mining if he became president in 2025 because the public laid the blame on the NPP.

“These plain inconsistencies by John Mahama on the subject matter of galamsey for me makes it difficult to trust John Mahama on the subject. Rather, they are thwarting the NPP government’s efforts at fighting the canker”, NPP Running Mate said.

He further admonished John Mahama to be a Statesman by putting Ghana first and desisting from playing petty politics with a serious matter that has far-reaching consequences for the Ghanaian people.

NAPO emphasized its primary goal is always to responsibly manage Ghana’s mineral resources, ensuring the populace reaps the benefits and stimulates economic growth while preserving the environment.

He stressed; “Dr. Bawumia’s bold solutions to the challenges will include formalizing, regularizing and regulating environmentally sustainable small-scale mining. These efforts will ultimately promote more responsible mining practices while helping small-scale mining companies expand into larger enterprises through capacity building and access to financing for equipment acquisition.”

He continued; “I can assure you that the next NPP government under Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will establish, in collaboration with the private sector, a Minerals Development Bank to support the mining industry. We will also set up a pension scheme for small-scale miners like we have done for cocoa farmers. We have the credibility when we say we are going to do this because we have done it before.”

Dr. Opoku Prempeh asked the clergy to condemn every utterance from politicians which seeks to compromise the Ghanaian interest for their selfish political agenda.

He then challenged the opposition National Democratic Congress to show real commitment to the fight against illegal mining by signing a national binding document with the New Patriotic Party.

This document, he stated, is expected to hold all parties accountable and obligate them to campaign against illegal mining while promoting responsible mining practices that protect water bodies and forests.