The Volta Regional Youth Organiser of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) has said the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is undermining the government's efforts in the ongoing fight against illegal mining, galamsey.

Speaking on JoyPrime's Prime Morning Show on Wednesday, he stated that the NPP has consistently downplayed the government’s initiatives and portrayed President John Mahama's interventions as ineffective.

According to him, "President Mahama gives the ironclad assurances to the Ghanaian people that they (galamseyers) will be dealt with. You are belittling the efforts that the government has made so far," he told the NPP member who was also on the show.

He emphasised that the President has shown a strong commitment by implementing measures to curb galamsey and ensuring that even members of the NDC found to be complicit are disciplined.

"I am telling you, about 1,400 arrests have been made so far with regard to the issue of galamsey. Just by an allegation that our National Organiser and others were involved, immediately the Attorney General wrote to EOCO to investigate them, that is the extent of commitment of this regime," he argued.

The issue of galamsey continues to worsen in some parts of the country, with dire consequences on water bodies.

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and individuals continue to mount pressure on the government to introduce concrete measures to end the menace once and for all, with some calling for a declaration of a state of emergency.

Among the government’s interventions is NAIMOS, which is currently clamping down on illegal mining activities and destroying several galamsey camps across the various mining regions.