Kwadwo Poku, a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has blamed entrenched partisan politics for Ghana’s failure to effectively combat illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, Mr Poku said the two main political parties, the NPP and the NDC, have consistently politicised the fight against galamsey, undermining national efforts to address the menace.

According to him, progress made by one party is often resisted by the other for political gain, creating a cycle of sabotage.

“The fundamental problem of this galamsey is NPP and NDC. The politics is the problem because when one party stood and the president says that ‘I will put my presidency on it,’ the other does the opposite,” he said.

He cited instances where the NPP’s attempts to regulate illegal mining were met with resistance from the NDC.

“Today, he (President John Mahama) has been in power for nine months and nothing. Even the state of emergency that everybody agreed on, they (NDC) themselves are the proponents of the state of emergency,” Mr Poku lamented.

He argued that despite previously calling for a state of emergency to curb illegal mining, the NDC failed to act when in power.

Mr Poku concluded by holding both parties accountable for the persistent challenges in fighting galamsey, insisting that the political blame game has become a major obstacle to lasting solutions.