Hamza Suhuyini Sayibu, a member of the NDC Communications team, has refuted claims that President John Mahama vowed to eradicate galamsey within 120 days of taking office.
Speaking on TV3’s New Day’s Big Issue, Suhuyini Sayibu emphasized that President Mahama never made such a promise, instead advocating for a holistic and sustainable approach to combat the menace.
“We never made a promise that we were going to end galamsey menace in a matter of weeks or three months, we never said so,” Suhuyini Sayibu stated.
He explained that President Mahama has consistently maintained that the fight against galamsey requires a comprehensive strategy, drawing parallels with the government’s approach to addressing the issue of dumsor during his previous tenure.
Suhuyini Sayibu pointed out that nowhere in the NDC’s 120-day social contract did President Mahama promise to end galamsey within months.
“It is not for nothing that if you go through our first 120-day pledge that we made. You do not see anywhere in those 26 promises where President Mahama has said that ‘I will end illegal mining in a matter of 120 days.'”
The denial comes amid recent developments in the fight against galamsey, including the arrest of 11 suspects and the launch of the Tree for Life initiative by President Mahama.
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has also introduced the Blue Water River Guard training program to equip 2,000 Ghanaian youth with skills to safeguard the country’s river bodies.
