Franklin Cudjoe slams Akufo-Addo for failing to combat galamsey

President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has criticized former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his lackluster response to illegal mining(galamsey), accusing him of prioritizing economic gains over environmental preservation.

Speaking on The Big Issue on January 25, Cudjoe described Akufo-Addo’s approach to combating galamsey as “nonchalant and dismissive,” asserting that his administration ignored the ecological destruction caused by illegal mining.

Cudjoe highlighted the severe damage inflicted on Ghana’s forests, rivers, and ecosystems, with water bodies like the Pra, Ankobra, and Birim heavily polluted by mercury.

The environmental devastation, he said, has led to deforestation, land degradation, and heightened climate change risks.

He lamented the absence of accountability and decisive leadership, calling the inaction an "ecological suicide" that undermines Ghana’s environmental future.