The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has raised concerns over what it describes as a systematic abuse of citizens’ rights and a lack of commitment by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government in the fight against illegal mining, known as galamsey.

At a press conference held at the NPP headquarters, the party’s Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagbah, criticized the administration of President John Dramani Mahama, accusing it of rolling back democratic freedoms and failing to curb illegal mining activities that threaten Ghana’s environment.

“The 2024 general elections were pivotal because a lot was at stake—economic recovery, job creation, and the fight against galamsey.

Unfortunately, three months into President Mahama’s administration, we are witnessing a regressive resetting of the presidency that undermines democratic rights and our efforts to protect the environment,” Ahiagbah stated.

The NPP accused the government of using the Judiciary to unfairly target opposition members while exonerating its own.

The party criticized the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, for allegedly engaging in a media trial rather than pursuing cases in court.

“If the Attorney General has compelling evidence of wrongdoing, why is he not prosecuting in a court of law? Instead, he holds press conferences with unverified claims to create public disaffection for the NPP.

This is persecution, not prosecution,” Ahiagbah asserted.

He further alleged that the government had dismissed cases against its own members through a nolle prosequi strategy, while intensifying legal battles against opposition figures.

The NPP also took issue with the government’s 2025 budget, describing it as a disappointment that failed to deliver on key campaign promises, including the much-publicized 24-hour economy initiative.

“Instead of a clear roadmap to implement the 24-hour economy, we have a budget that freezes public sector employment.

Worse still, the government is prioritizing expenditures that benefit a few individuals at the Jubilee House over critical sectors like agriculture and job creation,” Ahiagbah noted.

He cited allocations that favoured government administration, including GHS 2.7 billion for government machinery, which surpasses combined investments in key economic initiatives such as the Agriculture for Economic Transformation programme GHS 1.5 billion) and the Women’s Development Bank (GHS 51.3 million).

Ahiagbah accused the Mahama administration of enabling illegal mining activities by failing to repeal Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, which permits mining in forest reserves.

“During the campaign, President Mahama promised to repeal L.I. 2462 to stop mining in forest reserves, but now he is backtracking. Instead, he is proposing an amendment that will not solve the problem. Our forests are under siege, with militants from Ivory Coast reportedly protecting illegal miners,” he said.

The NPP pointed to escalating illegal mining activities in critical reserves, including the Offin Shelter Belt, Keynkeynso and Gyaare forests in the Brim North district, and the Tano Anwia forest in Aowin. The party warned that Ghana risks losing all 288 of its forest reserves to galamsey if the government does not act decisively.