Kwaku Asante-Boateng, the Member of Parliament for Asante Akim South, has raised concerns that the government’s reluctance to address illegal mining, known as galamsey, is driven by fears of losing the upcoming December 7 elections.
Asante-Boateng pointed out that the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) strong stance against galamsey in 2020 played a role in the party’s loss of seats in several mining communities. Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, October 2, he suggested that the current hesitation to enforce a complete ban on mining is due to the fear of losing votes—a concern he believes is common to any political party.
He defended the government’s caution, noting that the fear of losing political support, particularly in areas where galamsey is widespread, is a natural part of politics.
“We took a firm stance as a party and government before the 2020 elections. If you remember, we lost all the parliamentary seats in the mining communities where we tried to impose control.
“So now, if we aim to ‘break the 8’ and people are demanding a ban on galamsey, do you think the current government will have the courage or see it necessary to implement that ban?
“The fear of losing power is delaying the ban, and this fear can affect any political party,” Asante-Boateng explained.
