Dennis Miracles Aboagye, an aide to former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has announced plans to expose senior government officials allegedly involved in illegal small-scale mining, known locally as galamsey.
Speaking on Breakfast Daily on Wednesday, April 29, Aboagye claimed that individuals closely linked to the current administration are actively participating in the illicit trade, raising serious questions about political complicity in the destruction of Ghana’s water bodies.
The NPP communicator, who also serves as a key figure in the Bawumia camp, said his decision to speak out is based on firsthand observations of widespread impunity in the sector.
“There is massive activity going on with apparent lack of enforcement,” he stated, describing a systemic failure that has allowed illegal mining to thrive.
Aboagye specifically questioned the government’s handling of excavators imported for mining activities. He dismissed claims that the machines are being effectively tracked, alleging instead that many have been released back to operators without proper accountability or sanctions.
He painted a grim picture of the environmental damage, noting that several rivers across the country have either stopped flowing or have been heavily polluted due to galamsey operations.
“Some rivers are no longer flowing, and others have virtually come to a standstill,” he lamented, warning that the situation poses a severe threat to livelihoods and the nation’s water security.
Aboagye accused the government of prioritising short-term financial gains from illegal mining over the long-term environmental and economic wellbeing of the country.
“I will, in the next few days, mention senior members, very top officials, who are close to this government and are actively operating in the galamsey space in this country,” he declared.