Founder and leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Akwasi Addae Odike, says both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have been taking Ghanaians for granted.
He asserted that the two parties have realised that Ghanaians will only lament over the destruction caused by illegal small-scale mining, known locally as galamsey, but will still vote for them.
He claims the two parties use the galamsey fight as a political tool to score points against each other while benefiting from the practice when they come into power.
“Our problem in Ghana is cyclical — NPP and NDC have realised that Ghanaians only lament but still vote for them,” he said.
Speaking on Accra-based Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem morning show, Odike said the promises and criticisms made by the NDC while in opposition were purely for political gain and not a genuine commitment to ending the menace.
While in opposition, the NDC heavily criticised the NPP for promoting galamsey, accusing former president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of being the mastermind behind the practice.
President John Dramani Mahama, then flagbearer, also promised to adopt several measures, including the use of artificial intelligence, to tackle the challenge.
Odike believes both parties have failed Ghanaians, adding that the nation’s environmental degradation is being driven by this political hypocrisy.
“NDC cannot stop galamsey. Their mindset is to come and score political points against the previous NPP government while benefiting from the same illegal mining,” he noted.
