Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II, the President of the National House of Chiefs, has said the media must name and shame chiefs and politicians involved in galamsey.
According to Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi, political interference has severely undermined national efforts to halt illegal mining.
He noted that when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) were in power, Jubilee House was being blamed for galamsey today, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), yet still Jubilee House is being blamed.
Addressing the issue, Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi stated, “This forest was created in 1929, and even the local people were not allowed there to collect snails there, but now we are giving it out for people to go and do illegal and irresponsible mining.
During the NPP time, we were all blaming Jubilee House. During the NDC time, we are still blaming Jubliee House; they are involved, let’s speak up because it affects us. Now the price of bottled water is rising because in the village, they don’t get stream water to drink again”, he added.
Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi boldly stressed, “If we are serious about ending galamsey, we must name and shame every individual involved, whether a chief or a politician. There should be no sacred cows”.
Also, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has revealed that President John Dramani Mahama will lead a very ruthless and relentless fight against galamsey.
Ablakwa reaffirmed that Ghana is going to see John Mahama lead the charge to stop the existential threat of illegal mining confronting Ghanaians.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday, August 14, Mr Ablakwa stated, “I can confirm to you that you are going to see a fight that has never been witnessed before in this country. President Mahama is going to lead a very ruthless and relentless fight against galamsey.
He didn’t mince his words. We had a brief cabinet meeting, and the President was very clear that he would lead a war we have never seen before to stop this existential threat confronting us,” he stated.
Also, Paa Kwesi Schandorf, the Media Relations Officer at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, has hinted at a possible repeal of LI 2462.
Speaking on NewsFile on Saturday, August 16, Paa Kwesi Schandorf said, “I could say authoritatively now here is that there’s a renewed conversation on L1 2462, and in the not too distant future, there would be an appropriate communication in that particular respect where the repeal is concerned.
That conversation has been had, indeed, there was a crunch Cabinet meeting that exhausted that possibility, and so the final outcome will be communicated very soon”.
Meanwhile, Kwame Pianim, a renowned statesman and New Patriotic Party (NPP) elder, has quizzed the critics of the John Mahama-led government, berating them for their failure to tackle illegal mining commonly known as galamsey.
He noted that the NDC government is barely eight months into its four-year term, and the criticism levelled against them so far in their fight against galamsey is unfair.
According to him, former president Akufo-Addo was in power for 8 years, and what did the NPP do in their fight against galamsey?
Speaking in an interview with TV3 on August 14, 2025, Kwame Pianim stated, “Look, the president has arrived barely eight months. Who am I to judge him?”
“My party, Akufo-Addo’s government, was in power for eight years. What did we do about it? So, it’s not the time for allocating blame. There’s time for facing our responsibilities seriously as Ghanaians,” he added.
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