Director of Communications for the Bawumia campaign, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has criticised commentators and members of the public who have applauded the government for acknowledging that members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have been involved in galamsey (illegal mining).

His comments come after some civil society groups commended President John Mahama for admitting that illegal mining, widely known as galamsey, involves actors across political, traditional, and even his own networks, warning that the fight against the practice will be challenging but must continue.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, March 21, Mr Aboagye described such praise as "hypocritical", pointing out that the information is not new.

“The president has admitted something that all of us have always known. Even when we were in government, I highlighted that NDC members were involved in galamsey,” he said.

He argued that while acknowledgement of wrongdoing is important, it is not a substitute for action. He noted that since taking office, the government has introduced only one new measure against illegal mining, while most interventions, including Operation Vanguard and military arrests in the forest, were already in place.

“Galamsey is a serious issue. Reading the manifesto, the government promised specific actions. My question is: if you already knew about it, what have you done about it since taking office?” he asked.

Using a household analogy, he emphasised accountability: “If I know that the beef I left in my fridge was stolen by my son, I won’t go complain to my neighbour. I deal with the person responsible. That’s the approach we need here.”

Mr Aboagye concluded by calling on the government to take decisive action against illegal mining rather than receiving applause for merely admitting what is already public knowledge.