Politicians Invest More in Elections Than in Galamsey Fight – Kosi Dedey

Engineer and Policy Analyst, Michael Kosi Dedey, has taken a swipe at Ghanaian politicians, accusing them of showing greater zeal and commitment to elections than to tackling critical national challenges such as illegal mining.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, Mr. Dedey said the disproportionate allocation of resources exposes the self-serving priorities of the country’s political class.

“The resources we commit to elections are phenomenal because the political stakes are so high. But when it comes to addressing national problems, the same energy and resources are missing. A clear example is the fight against galamsey,” he argued.

Citing the just-ended Akwatia by-election, he contrasted the heavy deployment of state resources with the lack of comparable effort in curbing illegal mining.

“Akwatia is just one constituency out of 276. Yet for one election, 5,000 police officers were deployed, with soldiers, ministers, and top officials all rushing there. But when it comes to galamsey, we don’t see 5,000 policemen, we don’t see soldiers, we don’t see ministers on the ground. That is what worries me,” he lamented.

Mr. Dedey further accused politicians of putting personal ambition ahead of the welfare of ordinary citizens.

“It seems our politicians are more invested in their own interests than the national interest,” he added.

His remarks follow the deployment of thousands of security personnel and high-ranking government officials to the Akwatia by-election held on Tuesday, September 2, 2025. The poll, organised after the passing of MP Ernest Kumi, was won by the NDC’s Bernard Bediako Baidoo, who secured 18,199 votes out of 33,819 valid ballots cast.