Ibrahim Adjei, a former Assistant Secretary at the Office of Former President Akufo-Addo, has taken issue with remarks made by President John Dramani Mahama regarding the prosecution of illegal miners. He warned that such statements risk undermining the ongoing fight against illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Monday, April 21, Adjei stressed that combating illegal mining requires unwavering political will and consistency, regardless of who is in power or implicated.

He highlighted the critical role political messaging plays in either curbing or enabling the practice.

According to him, Mahama’s statement in October 2023 — where the former president suggested he would not prosecute illegal miners because high-ranking individuals are often involved — sends a problematic signal that perpetrators might escape punishment.

“I was at a programme sometime back, and I noticed how President Mahama changed the tone. In October 2023, he was saying that, given the power, he would not prosecute those found there because there are big people.

“That kind of language does not help. You are giving some kind of leeway that ‘if this man comes to power, we can continue, even if they catch us, we won’t go to jail because he is focused on the big men.’ No, crime is crime. The deterrent has to be through the value chain. This is something that the government needs to be determined about,” he stated.

His comments also follow a revelation by Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, who disclosed that the government is now using chassis numbers of excavators seized from illegal mining sites to trace their owners.

The move forms part of a renewed crackdown on the galamsey menace.