Miracles Aboagye Caught In ‘Galamsey Hypocrisy’

Dennis Miracles Aboagye, an aide to former Vice President and New Patriotic Party (NPP) 2024 flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, is facing public backlash following comments he made recently about illegal mining and water pollution — remarks that appear to contradict his earlier position on small-scale mining.

Exactly a year ago, while serving in government, Mr. Aboagye strongly opposed calls to ban small-scale mining.

Speaking on Joy News on September 19, 2024, he not only dismissed suggestions for a ban but also threatened to stage a demonstration against the NPP government should such a policy be implemented.

“Banning small-scale mining, I don’t think is the way to go because, one, we have tried it before and it did not solve the problem,” he said at the time.

Mr. Aboagye argued that the ban would not only be ineffective but would also render thousands of people jobless. “If my government bans small-scale mining, I will demonstrate against them,” he stated emphatically.

He acknowledged the environmental degradation caused by illegal mining (galamsey), particularly to water bodies, but maintained that not all small-scale miners operate illegally. “There are people who are legitimately doing small-scale mining. It has nothing to do with galamsey,” he noted, citing large mining firms like AngloGold Ashanti and Newmont, whose operations, he argued, were unrelated to the concerns raised.

Mr. Aboagye also defended the then Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, resisting calls for his removal and stating that ministerial changes would not solve the illegal mining crisis.

Protest Threats To Press Conference

Fast forward to September 2025, Mr. Aboagye now in opposition is leading what critics call a dramatic reversal.

During the weekend, he led a group of journalists to the Agona Kwanyako water treatment plant in the Central Region, raising alarm over water pollution allegedly caused by illegal mining.

His sudden activism has raised questions about political consistency and sincerity, with observers accusing him of shifting his position now that his party is out of government.

Critics argue that Mr. Aboagye’s current condemnation of illegal mining activities and the state of the country’s water bodies stands in stark contrast to his earlier opposition to regulatory enforcement and anti-galamsey proposals.

As the debate over the future of small-scale mining continues to dominate national discourse, Mr. Aboagye’s comments have reignited concerns over political double standards and the role of partisan interests in shaping national policy on natural resources and the environment.

NPP worse than devil in galamsey fight

Meanwhile, the President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor Eric K. K. Avabare, has launched a scathing criticism of both the opposition NPP and the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), accusing them of failing Ghanaians in the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

In a Facebook post on Monday, September 22, 2025, Prof. Avabare expressed disappointment at what he described as the hypocrisy of the NPP’s renewed concern about the menace, arguing that the party had been complicit in fueling the crisis when it was in power.

“I am surprised the NPP suddenly appears concerned about the galamsey menace, but they were terribly worse than the devil himself. They passed the mining law LI 2462, oversaw the building of chanfangs, and issued more mining licenses than all previous administrations combined since independence,” he wrote according a report by Citinewsroom.

He went further to say that both major political parties had failed the nation.

“These two destructive parties have destroyed Ghana in a literal sense because they are clueless about what they are doing. I blame Ghanaians squarely for knowing what they know about these two parties and still queuing to vote for them, while drinking poisoned water,” he added.

Prof. Avabare also criticised President John Dramani Mahama, accusing him of making excuses for his inability to address galamsey during his earlier term.

“President JDM looked into the eyes of Ghanaians and told them they had short memories, and yet when he returned promising to solve galamsey, they voted for him again. Instead, he gave weak excuses for why he could not stop the destruction of water bodies, forest reserves, and farmlands,” he wrote.

He lamented what he described as the complacency of the Ghanaian public in holding leaders accountable, contrasting it with how citizens in other African countries might have responded.

“The citizens of a serious country like Kenya would have engaged in civil disobedience right away! The inertness of the Ghanaian makes them complicit in this destruction because they also benefit from it,” he said.

Prof. Avabare concluded by invoking the memory of the late Major Maxwell Mahama and other victims of violence linked to illegal mining, warning that Ghanaians cannot absolve themselves from the consequences of galamsey.