Professor Eric Abavare, President of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), has defended his recent remarks calling President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo a “joker” in the fight against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.

During an appearance on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, October 12, Prof. Abavare made the statement while criticizing the president’s handling of the galamsey issue.

His comments sparked dissatisfaction from Enoch Afoakwa, a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) communications team, who expressed discontent with the description.

In response, Prof. Abavare told host Selorm Adonoo that he fully stands by his words, emphasizing that he made the statement deliberately and proudly.

He reiterated his belief that the government’s efforts to combat illegal mining have been ineffective, and he expressed no regrets over his choice of language.

“My learned friend Enoch said I have described the president with a word that he is not comfortable with. I want him to understand that I want my government to succeed. I want my country to succeed and if my government succeeds, it means my country also succeeds.

“Now, I made those descriptions about the president and I still stand by them; that he is a big joker! When we attended elementary school, you recall that we studied something called ’round of.’ You have a fraction that is less than 5 and then you round it out to be zero, so if the environmental audit report of the Accountant-General says that we have reclaimed less than 1 percent of destroyed lands and in the examination if you get less than 50 percent, we say you have failed.”

“Assuming if I have put the president to an examination on galamsey and I am supposed to assess him on his performance of land reclamation and he gets less than 1 percent and I describe him as a joker, is it out of the blue?”