The Socialist Movement of Ghana (SMG) says the country faces environmental dangers under the current John Mahama administration.

At its second Delegates Congress, the Progressive Alliance for Ghana (PAG) and the Social Justice Movement of Ghana (SJMG) warned that the new NDC government lacks a bold agenda to confront the neo-colonial state.

They said Ghanaians only voted out the NPP because corruption had become intolerable. But the NDC now faces a fragile economy, rising unemployment, and the menace of illegal mining.

The statement warned that galamsey is destroying rivers and pushing Ghana toward environmental collapse.

“If this continues, we may soon be forced to import water,” the groups cautioned.

The congress also condemned what it called the Mahama government’s role as “a clearing house for Trump’s racist immigration policies.”

It questioned secret deals that allow deportees to be sent to Ghana instead of their own countries.

The statement touched on wider insecurity across West Africa, citing the crisis in Burkina Faso and conflicts in Sudan and the DRC. It called for peaceful solutions and for progressive forces in Ghana to push for peace.

On the global stage, it accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and urged the international community to disarm it. It also called for peace in the Russia-Ukraine war.

The groups pointed to the BRICS project as a sign of hope. They urged Ghana’s government to engage with it as a pathway to sustainable development.

Finally, the congress called on all progressive organisations to unite and form a single political front to liberate Ghana from neo-colonialism.

As the nation marks Kwame Nkrumah’s birth month, the statement declared: “The greatest tribute to his legacy would be for all progressive forces to come together to chart a new course for social and economic justice.”

Below is their full statement

Second Delegates Congress of the Socialist Movement of Ghana (SMG)-Final

On behalf of the Progressive Alliance for Ghana (PAG) and in partnership with the Social Justice Movement of Ghana (SJMG) I bring you fraternal greetings.

Your Congress is taking place in a world marked by numerous conflicts, but also by opportunities for progressive forces to intervene in national and global politics in pursuit of social justice.

In Ghana, we currently have a new government led by the National Democratic Congress (NDC). This government did not come to power based on a clear political agenda to confront the neo-colonial state. Rather, the people voted overwhelmingly against the New Patriotic Party (NPP), whose corruption became intolerable.

The new administration now faces enormous challenges: a fragile economy, rising unemployment, and above all, the menace of illegal mining, which is destroying our rivers and pushing Ghana toward environmental collapse. If this continues, we may soon be forced to import water, further compounding our problems.

We condemn the role that the Mahama government is playing as a clearing house for Trump’s racist immigration policies. We find the NDC government’s argument that they are ECOWAS citizens and would ordinarily be entitled to free movement laughable. The people of Ghana deserve to know what behind-the-scenes agreement has enabled it, especially when the deportees could have been sent to their respective countries directly.

Across the West African sub-region, conflicts in the Sahel, including neighbouring Burkina Faso, continue to threaten peace and stability in the sub-region and there are fears that it could affect Ghana. More broadly in Africa, civil wars in South Sudan and North Sudan, as well as the protracted conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), persist. We call for peaceful resolutions to these crises and urge all progressive forces in Ghana to contribute to efforts that bring peace to our continent.

Internationally, we witness the ongoing genocidal war in Gaza and the Palestinian territories and declare Israel as committing genocide as grave as the Holocaust. We call on the international community to disarm Israel and hold it accountable for its role in perpetuating wars across the Middle East. Similarly, we urge and call for a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Despite these struggles, rays of hope are emerging. The BRICS countries are working decisively toward establishing a new economic order—one that challenges U.S. hegemony and fosters genuine mutual partnership among nations. We call on the Government of Ghana as to actively engage with the BRICS project, as it represents a path toward sustainable development for our country.

We wish the SMG a successful and impactful Congress. In conclusion, we urge the SMG to consider joining and partnering with the PAG in the political process, making use of the limited democratic space available to us. Indeed, we call on all progressive organisations gathered here—and across Ghana—to unite in forming a single political front capable of leading Ghana’s development and freeing us from the chains of neo-colonialism.

As we mark the birth month of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, we affirm that the greatest tribute to his legacy would be for all progressive forces and individuals to come together to chart a new course for social and economic justice in Ghana and across Africa.

Forward Together!