ATTA MILLS CRITICISES GOVERNMENT OVER GALAMSEY

Cadman Atta Mills, brother of the late President John Evans Atta Mills, has thrown a sharp jab at government over its handling of illegal mining, popularly called galamsey. For him, no amount of economic applause can justify the destruction galamsey has unleashed on Ghana’s people and environment.

“I refuse to pay for the accolades President Mahama and the NDC is receiving for the cedi’s recovery with my health or life,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). His words cut deep, reminding us that behind the political debates and economic statistics, there are poisoned rivers, sick farmers, destroyed lands, and children growing up in communities where clean water is becoming a luxury.

Who is to Blame?

It is easy to point fingers at government, and indeed, successive governments have failed to stop galamsey. Operations have continued under different administrations, often with reports of political backing and protection for financiers. But the bitter truth is this: government alone is not responsible.

Ordinary individuals, some desperate, some greedy, dig up the land without regard for tomorrow. Chiefs who are supposed to guard the lands sometimes look away, or worse, give out concessions for short-term gains. Politically connected investors bankroll the machines and watch as rivers are turned into mud. And we, the citizens, pretend it is not our problem, until the water we drink tastes of chemicals, or our food prices rise because farmlands are ruined.

The Real Cost

Cadman Atta Mills put it plainly: “It is killing us.” Galamsey is not just an environmental problem; it is a health crisis, an agricultural disaster, and a slow death sentence for our future.

• Rivers once used for drinking, bathing, and fishing are now filled with mercury and cyanide.
• Cocoa farms are destroyed, affecting Ghana’s pride and economy.
• Communities are left with strange illnesses, rashes, and cancers linked to polluted water.
• Forests vanish, rainfall patterns shift, and climate change deepens.

Yet, while all this happens, we celebrate a cedi recovery or short-term economic wins, forgetting that no amount of stable exchange rates can replace poisoned water or dead farmlands.

Taking Responsibility

If we are honest, every part of society has failed in this fight. The government promises, but enforcement remains weak. Chiefs sometimes prefer loyalty to financiers over loyalty to their people. Citizens, some driven by poverty, others by greed, keep digging.

The lesson is clear: we must all take responsibility. Stopping galamsey is not only about government soldiers burning excavators; it is about individuals refusing to sell their land for destruction, chiefs guarding their heritage, politicians refusing to shield financiers, and communities speaking up against the silence that kills.

A Call to Wake Up

Cadman Atta Mills’ words are not just criticism; they are a warning. Galamsey is killing us, slowly but surely. It is time to stop seeing it as someone else’s problem. If rivers die, if lands vanish, if food becomes unsafe, we all pay the price.

Economic growth without environmental survival is an empty victory. The cedi may recover, but if the Ghanaian body and soul do not, then what have we truly gained?

Check His post on social media below: