The Centre for Democratic Movement (CDM) has issued a fierce critique of President John Dramani Mahama’s administration, accusing it of gross failure in tackling the illegal mining (galamsey) menace ravaging Ghana’s rivers and farmlands.

In a press statement issued on Wednesday, May 21, the CDM described the Mahama government’s environmental record as “a national disgrace and an environmental catastrophe.”

The group said the NDC’s 2024 campaign promises to audit mining concessions, ban mining in water bodies, reclaim degraded lands, and operationalise the Ghana Gold Board have all been reduced to “empty political rhetoric.”

Citing the poisoned state of major rivers such as the Pra, Ankobra, Offin, Tano and Birim, CDM said these water bodies have been “turned toxic” under Mahama’s watch.

“President Mahama cannot claim ignorance. He cannot feign helplessness. The rot is thriving under his watch—and worse, under his silence,” the statement read.

The group accused the government of complicity, stating that the surge in galamsey operations reflects a total breakdown of enforcement and political will.

Calling for immediate action, CDM demanded that the President declare a state of emergency in all galamsey-affected areas.

“The rivers are bleeding. The forests are dying. The people are suffering. A state of emergency is not optional; it is overdue. Declare it now, or stand forever complicit,” the statement concluded.