Awal Mohammed, a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) communications team, has criticised the Mahama government’s approach to the fight against illegal mining, insisting that there has been no meaningful change in strategy as the country looks ahead to the President’s second term beginning in 2026.

Speaking on the AM Show, Mr Mohammed argued that the government’s actions over the past year do not represent progress compared to efforts made before the 2024 elections. “I think the government has really done nothing.

Yes, that I can say emphatically,” he said, questioning what new measures have been introduced since the change in administration.

According to him, key enforcement actions such as arrests, prosecutions and the seizure and destruction of excavators were already taking place in 2024 under the previous administration. He suggested that continuing similar actions without a clear shift in strategy cannot be described as decisive action against galamsey.

“In 2024 we were doing arrests. We were even burning excavators. We were jailing people,” he stated.

Awal Mohammed also referenced comments made by President John Dramani Mahama during the 2024 campaign, when the then-opposition leader spoke about offering amnesty to some young people involved in illegal mining, arguing that the real culprits were powerful financiers behind the operations. In his view, this approach has emboldened key actors in the sector rather than dismantling their networks.

The NPP communicator further expressed concern about what he described as rising boldness among illegal mining interests, pointing to recent reports of violent confrontations involving security agencies. He cited an incident in which, according to him, an MP allegedly organised a group to attack military personnel at a police station, describing it as unprecedented.

“In the last year, this is the first time we are hearing an MP organised a group of people to attack military people in a police station,” he claimed.

Illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, remains a major national issue, blamed for widespread environmental destruction, polluted water bodies and threats to public health.

The Mahama administration has repeatedly pledged to intensify the fight against the menace, while critics, particularly from the opposition NPP, argue that political interference and lack of political will continue to undermine enforcement efforts.