The National Democratic Congress (NDC) government is facing a critical internal test following a bombshell JoyNews investigation that has linked a District Chief Executive (DCE) to a systematic extortion racket fuelling illegal mining.

Dr Steve Manteaw, a policy analyst and natural resource governance advocate, has issued a warning to the party’s rank and file, urging them to prioritise the national interest over partisan loyalty in the fight against 'galamsey'.

Dr Manteaw’s comments come in the wake of the documentary titled ‘A Tax for Galamsey’, which has ignited public outrage by exposing how local government officials allegedly "legalised" environmental destruction through illicit taxation.

Inside the 'Pay-to-Destroy' syndicate

The JoyNews documentary, which aired on Monday, February 9, 2026, and has continued to dominate headlines, revealed a pay-to-destroy syndicate operating in the shadows of the mining sector.

The investigation followed the money trail, capturing high-ranking local officials—including the Amansie Central DCE — implicated in collecting "fees" from illegal miners in exchange for protection.

Dr Manteaw argued that any attempt by NDC supporters to defend these officials would be a betrayal of President John Dramani Mahama's stated commitment to environmental preservation.

He noted that the actions of these DCEs are directly undermining the President’s authority and the credibility of the party’s conservation policies.

“I urge all NDC supporters NOT to defend the unscrupulous DCEs who are undermining the President's fight against galamsey,” Dr Manteaw declared, calling for immediate administrative and criminal sanctions against those named in the exposé.

The fallout from the documentary has led to a chorus of demands from civil society for the immediate dismissal of the implicated DCE.

Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah, and Convenor of the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining, Kenneth Ashigbey, have both joined Dr Manteaw in calling for the dismissal of the officials found culpable.

In response, the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has assured Ghanaians that all individuals found culpable in the alleged illegal mining taxation scheme exposed in the JoyNews Hotline documentary will face the full rigours of the law.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Monday, Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the government will not shield anyone involved in wrongdoing, stressing that accountability applies regardless of status or political affiliation.

“Once evidence of wrongdoing comes to light, you’d be taken up. It doesn’t matter who is involved. Whilst there’s evidence of wrongdoing, the law will take its course,” he stated.