NPP's Aboagye Blames NDC for Worsening Galamsey as NAIMOS Clashes Leave Six Dead

The New Patriotic Party's Director of Communications, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has launched a sharp attack on the governing National Democratic Congress, accusing the party of being Ghana's foremost enabler of illegal small-scale mining — commonly known as galamsey — by turning a blind eye to operations allegedly linked to its own officials while deploying enforcement teams against others.

His remarks came in the wake of a deadly confrontation between community members and the government's anti-galamsey task force, NAIMOS, which left at least six people dead. The incident has reignited fierce debate about how Ghana's successive governments have handled one of the country's most damaging environmental and governance crises.

Selective justice at the heart of the row

At the core of Aboagye's allegation is what he describes as a pattern of selective enforcement — where state security operatives crack down on miners in certain communities while illegal dredging and excavation allegedly continues unchecked in areas where individuals connected to the ruling party are said to be active.

"There is no pretence here. The kingpins of galamsey are back in government," Aboagye stated bluntly, claiming he had on multiple occasions provided evidence to support his assertions. He pointed specifically to stretches of territory running from Osino and Konongo in the Asante Akim area all the way towards Kumasi, alleging that mining operations there remain ongoing even as NAIMOS conducts operations elsewhere.

He also referenced video footage that he said showed NDC-affiliated figures openly making statements in support of galamsey, arguing that the political leadership of the party could not credibly distance itself from such conduct.

Why it matters for Ghana

Ghana's galamsey crisis is not a new phenomenon, but it has deepened into a national emergency over the past decade. Illegal mining has devastated river bodies — including stretches of the Pra, Ankobra and Birim rivers — stripped forests of vegetation and poisoned water sources that millions of Ghanaians depend on for drinking and farming.

Both major political parties — the NPP and the NDC — have faced accusations of enabling illegal mining during their respective time in office, often by allowing party financiers, campaign foot soldiers or locally powerful figures to operate with impunity. The pattern of blame traded across the political aisle each time power changes hands reflects a deeper structural problem: anti-galamsey enforcement in Ghana has historically struggled to separate genuine rule of law from political calculation.

The deaths recorded during the recent NAIMOS operation add a sobering dimension to the debate. When enforcement leads to civilian fatalities, it raises urgent questions about the proportionality of state action and whether communities are being consulted or simply confronted. Aboagye himself warned that selective justice breeds public resentment. "In a society where people feel there is selective justice, they will revolt," he cautioned — a warning that carries weight given the volatile situations that have erupted in mining communities in the past.

For ordinary Ghanaians living near mining zones, the political back-and-forth offers little comfort. Farmlands are destroyed, rivers run red or brown, and livelihoods are disrupted — regardless of which party is in office or which party spokesperson is making accusations on a given morning.

NDC yet to formally respond

At the time of Aboagye's statement, the NDC had not issued a formal rebuttal to the specific claims. The governing party has previously maintained that it is committed to tackling illegal mining and has pointed to NAIMOS operations as evidence of that commitment. Critics, however, argue that task-force deployments alone are insufficient without transparent, impartial prosecution of high-profile figures — regardless of political affiliation.

Aboagye also challenged the NDC to account for pre-election pledges on natural resource governance, questioning which of its manifesto commitments on the environment had been fulfilled since taking office. "Today in Ghana, galamsey is worse than it was in 2024. Everywhere you go," he claimed, a charge the government is likely to dispute but one that resonates with environmental groups who have long called for a non-partisan, institution-led approach to ending illegal mining for good.