Mahama Must Tackle Galamsey to Seal NPP’s Fate

President John Mahama stands at a decisive crossroads in his second coming. Nine months into his administration, he has already achieved what many thought impossible: restoring calm, fiscal discipline, and integrity to governance after years of scandal-ridden chaos under the NPP. Yet, one issue threatens to overshadow these gains if not addressed with iron resolve — the menace of galamsey.

The record so far is encouraging. For the first time in decades, Ghanaians can point to a government with no major scandal hanging around its neck. In stark contrast, the NPP, during its last disastrous tenure, stumbled from one corruption headline to the next — from inflated contracts to reckless borrowing, from nepotism to blatant abuse of public funds. Mahama’s government has shown that governance can be done differently.

Operation Recover All Loot is quietly but steadily gathering momentum. Ill-gotten wealth is being traced, assets recovered, and prosecutions pursued. Yes, the wheels of justice turn slowly, but for once, they are turning in the right direction. On the economic front, campaign promises are being rolled out daily without reckless borrowing, and the books are being kept clean with strict fiscal management. These are not abstract achievements; they are visible gains felt in the lives of ordinary Ghanaians.

But even these positives face a looming shadow. Galamsey is the blot that threatens to undo an otherwise bright record. Our rivers — the very lifeline of rural communities and urban supply systems alike — are turning into sludge. The once-mighty Pra, Ankobra, and Offin are dying before our eyes. Forest reserves that took centuries to flourish are being wiped out in months. Entire ecosystems are collapsing, with consequences that will haunt not just this generation but many yet unborn.

The cost is not only environmental. Galamsey is now a full-blown national security threat. Armed groups control concessions, violence simmers in mining communities, and foreign mercenaries exploit our land with impunity. Left unchecked, this menace will drain the goodwill the Mahama government has built and hand opponents a weapon they do not deserve.

And let us be honest: those demanding decisive action on galamsey are not enemies of government. They are patriots. They see the progress so far and fear only that this one failing could become a permanent stain on an otherwise strong administration. To dismiss them would be to miss the wisdom in their warning.

Meanwhile, across the aisle, the NPP is in freefall. Internal wrangling, factional betrayals, and the desperate attempt to impose their failed vice president on the party as flagbearer have torn them apart. Disunity festers, trust erodes, and their relevance shrinks daily. The picture is one of a party on life support.

This is why the timing is perfect. If President Mahama launches a fierce, no-nonsense war on galamsey now, it will do more than save our rivers and forests. It will secure his government’s moral high ground, deepen public trust, and deliver the final political nail in the NPP’s coffin. The opposition cannot recover credibility while fighting themselves and defending a record of scandals, debt, and neglect.

The people are watching. History has placed before Mahama a golden opportunity: to be remembered not just as the leader who stabilized the ship of state, but the one who saved Ghana’s very environment from annihilation. This is the legacy that will carry NDC into 2028 with renewed strength and a mandate to consolidate the gains already made.

Mr. President, the time for half-measures has passed. The moment demands boldness, vision, and courage. Wage war on galamsey now — and you will not only protect Ghana’s soul, but seal the NPP’s fate for good.

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