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GLRSSMP: World Bank will withdraw support if we politicise fight against galamsey
The Ghana Landscape Restoration and Small Scale Mining Project (GLRSSMP) has said claims that the fight against illegal mining also known as galamsey is being politicized is untrue.
This follows the Former President John Mahama’s comments about alleged politicization of the fight against galamsey whilst at Atiwa East and West constituency in the Eastern Region.
However, speaking on Starr Midday News with Blessing Bless Frimpong, the Group’s President, Michael Peprah has also lamented that the NPP government has embarked on targeting those who are not in their party, even though they possess the necessary qualifications and licenses to operate.
According to the Association, mining concessions are awarded to only government cronies at the expense of others.
Commenting on the development on Starr Today Thursday with Joshua Kodjo Mensah, the Coordinator, Ghana Landscape Restoration and Small Scale Mining, John Krugu refuted the claims adding that the effects of illegal mining do not affect a particular political party or group of persons.
“It is very sad to hear that because of the work we do the President has tasked all of us to make sure that he will want to see real results during his tenure as President. The work that we do is such a way that we do not go looking for political colors.
“Let me tell you that the issue we are dealing with about the environmental and social issues that we are confronted with are as a result of illegal mining. Mind you they are not affecting a certain group of people politically or religiously or any other consideration. Look, if the water is not drinkable it is not, it doesn’t matter which political party colors you are wearing. If the water is polluted it affects all of us,” Mr. Krugu stated.
He continued: “If the environment is destroyed, if the cocoa farm becomes destroyed, the impact it has on the nation, the Ghanaian economy will affect everybody living in Ghana. So nobody and let me add this especially the aspect that I am coordinating the government has worked very hard with the Minister responsible for Minerals and Natural Resources to secure World Bank support.
According to the Coordinator, the World Bank is not only giving money but rather the Bank is also providing technical support for the work GLRSSMP is doing.
“Trust me if there is any iota of evidence that we are looking at political color as we do the work even the bank will be the first to withdraw their money. So I can tell you for a fact that anybody who is talking about the first against illegal mining and galamsey is done with a partisan lens simply does not know how things are done,” he added.
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Focus on more pressing issues like Galamsey, not hate speech – Ellen Ama Daaku to Mahama
An aide to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia,Ellen Ama Daaku has advised President John Dramani Mahama to shift his attention from social media hate speech to more urgent national issues such as illegal mining.
Speaking in an interview, she noted that the President’s recent comments about tracking the IP addresses of people who spread hate speech were unnecessary.
According to her, President Mahama must first define what he considers to be hate speech before seeking to punish people for it.
Ms. Daaku argued that the President himself had benefitted from hate speech and social media attacks in the past when he was in opposition.
She said even during his time in government, he described his opponents and their tribesmen in unpalatable terms, which later drew complaints from former President Nana Akufo-Addo to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
She stressed that harsh criticism of leaders on social media should not automatically be considered hate speech, adding that former leaders, including former President Nana Akufo-Addo had all been subjected to it.
“He is only feeling what Nana Akufo-Addo went through for eight years,” she remarked.
While acknowledging the need to regulate misconduct online, Ms. Daaku insisted that going after social media activists should not be a priority.
She noted that many political activists, including herself, had been insulted and attacked online but never called for arrests.
She concluded that President Mahama should focus his energy on solving pressing problems such as galamsey and the economy instead of concentrating on critics on social media.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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Prof Alidu Seidu files nomination for Tamale Central seat
The newly elected parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Tamale Central, Prof Alidu Seidu, has submitted his nomination forms to the Electoral Commission.
As of 10:00 a.m. today, he was the only person who had filed to contest the seat.
Nomination of candidates will close at the end of the day.
Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Ghana Legon, Prof. Alidu Seidu won the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries in the Tamale Central constituency with a landslide victory.
The elections, supervised by the party’s Elections and IT Directorate in the Northern Region, saw Prof. Seidu poll 840 votes out of the total valid ballots cast.
His closest contender, Lawyer Hanan Gundadow Abdul-Rahaman, secured 536 votes.
The other aspirants could not make significant gains, with Dr. Seidu Fiter obtaining 44 votes, Aliu Abdul-Hamid 23 votes, and the rest recording fewer than 10 votes each.
In all, 1,500 ballots were cast, with 6 ballots rejected and 7 spoilt ballots recorded.
The results were signed and declared by Dr. Arnold Mashud Abukari, NDC Northern Regional Director of Elections and IT.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) held parliamentary primaries in Tamale Central to choose a candidate for the upcoming by-election following the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. Dr. Mohammed, who also served as Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, tragically died in a military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District on August 6, 2025, alongside seven others.
His passing left the Tamale Central seat vacant, as required by Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
The Electoral Commission has scheduled the by-election for September 30, 2025. While the NDC moved quickly to open nominations and vet aspirants, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) announced it would not contest the seat, citing the need to respect the somber circumstances and promote national unity.
By: Jacob Aggrey
