IMANI Africa President Franklin Cudjoe has challenged NDC National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia to abandon his controversial thank you tour and instead visit illegal mining sites, arguing this would demonstrate genuine leadership amid Ghana’s escalating environmental crisis.
Cudjoe’s Facebook intervention comes as mounting pressure builds on President John Dramani Mahama to declare a state of emergency over galamsey following the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference’s urgent September 15 statement describing illegal mining as “a cancer in our national soul.”
The policy analyst suggested Asiedu Nketia could earn the “Chief Successor title” by touring galamsey sites with the president and declaring affected areas dangerous zones rather than pursuing what critics view as premature presidential campaign activities.
The timing of Cudjoe’s criticism coincides with intensifying public demands for decisive galamsey action, as Catholic bishops warn that illegal mining threatens the survival of millions of Ghanaians through river contamination, farmland destruction, and food chain poisoning.
Asiedu Nketia’s September 17-19 Eastern Region tour across 16 constituencies occurs just two months after President Mahama completed his nationwide appreciation exercise, raising questions about the necessity and underlying motivations behind the chairman’s independent initiative.
The IMANI chief’s intervention reflects broader frustration with political leaders pursuing perceived personal agendas while Ghana’s environmental crisis demands urgent action. Recent data shows illegal mining has expanded significantly despite government promises to combat the menace.
President Mahama faces mounting criticism for dismissing state of emergency calls during his September 10 “Meet the Press” session, with religious leaders describing his reluctance as “profoundly troubling” given the crisis’s catastrophic scale.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference has positioned galamsey as potentially Ghana’s most severe existential threat, warning that delayed action represents betrayal of future generations while calling for comprehensive national strategy including special courts and revised mining laws.
Military deployment announcements represent the government’s latest response to galamsey concerns, though critics argue such measures remain insufficient without emergency powers enabling rapid response and area restrictions.
Cudjoe’s criticism of Asiedu Nketia follows his August condemnation of previous administration failures on galamsey, linking the issue to Ghana’s helicopter crash that killed Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.
The think tank leader’s challenge reflects growing calls for political accountability on environmental destruction, with various stakeholders questioning whether current leadership demonstrates sufficient urgency matching the crisis’s severity.
Asiedu Nketia previously opposed state of emergency declarations in galamsey-affected areas, arguing such measures would constitute constitutional suspension, though critics note emergency powers were successfully deployed in Bawku for security concerns.
The Media Coalition Against Galamsey has joined bishops in demanding emergency action, emphasizing that such measures focus on restricting access to sensitive areas rather than trampling rights, while enabling security agencies to act with precision.
Public discourse increasingly frames galamsey as test of leadership credibility, with analysts suggesting political figures’ responses to the crisis will significantly influence their long-term reputations and electoral prospects.
The environmental emergency has reached unprecedented levels with water bodies across multiple regions facing severe contamination, while agricultural communities report significant productivity losses from mining-related soil degradation and water pollution.
