Ghanaian media personality Paul Adom-Otchere
Ghanaian media personality Paul Adom-Otchere has defended President John Mahama’s position on illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
He insists that the President was candid about the economic and political complexities surrounding the issue.
Speaking on a panel discussion on JoyNews on Thursday, September 11, 2025, Adom-Otchere argued that the fight against galamsey cannot be reduced to law enforcement alone.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency on mining activities would have serious financial repercussions.
President Mahama’s remark ‘failed to inspire hope’ – Coalition Against Galamsey
“The President spoke the truth on galamsey. If you declare a state of emergency on all mining, you are likely to see a drop in mining revenue. The finance minister will not be happy, and that’s exactly the point Asiedu Nketiah made. Such a move would badly affect government finances,” he explained.
He admitted that the National Democratic Congress (NDC), while in opposition, had called for a state of emergency on illegal mining.
He, however, suggested that those calls may have been driven more by political strategy than economic feasibility.
“Maybe during the campaign, not as much truth was said. Everything President Mahama said this time was true. But perhaps campaigners knew a state of emergency would affect the economy and still pushed it because it was campaign time,” he stated.
AM/SEA
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