NPP's Galamsey Petition Sparks Debate with Insight Newspaper Editor

Strategic Insights -

Veteran journalist and Managing Editor of Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has criticized the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) over their petition to the presidency regarding the menace of illegal small-scale mining (galamsey). Pratt Jnr expressed shock at the NPP's stance, pointing out that the party failed to address the issue during their eight-year tenure under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. The NPP's petition, submitted on July 24, 2025, blames the seven-month-old National Democratic Congress (NDC) government led by President John Dramani Mahama for the slow pace of the fight against galamsey.

Key Takeaways:

  • The NPP's petition to the presidency highlights the ongoing issue of galamsey, with the party blaming the NDC government for the slow pace of the fight against galamsey.
  • Former President Nana Akufo-Addo failed to address the galamsey issue during his eight-year tenure, with water bodies being destroyed and cocoa production falling by as much as 50% due to illegal mining.
  • Kwesi Pratt Jnr, Managing Editor of Insight Newspaper, suggests that the NPP is being hypocritical by blaming the NDC government for the galamsey menace, given their own inaction during their tenure.
  • The NPP's petition was submitted to the presidency on July 24, 2025, just a few days before Kwesi Pratt Jnr's post criticizing the party's stance.
  • Insight Newspaper's Managing Editor, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has been an outspoken critic of the NPP's handling of galamsey during their tenure.
  • The NDC government, led by President John Dramani Mahama, has been in office for just seven months as of the time of the petition.
  • The galamsey issue has significant environmental and economic implications for Ghana.

Statistics:

  • Cocoa production fell by as much as 50% due to illegal mining during the NPP's tenure.
  • Former President Nana Akufo-Addo was in power for eight years, failing to address the galamsey issue.
  • The NDC government has been in office for seven months as of July 24, 2025.
  • The NPP's petition was submitted on July 24, 2025.

Sources:

  • Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. "NPP's Hypocrisy Over Galamsey". X, July 28, 2025.
  • Ghana Web. "Veteran journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr takes swipe at NPP over galamsey petition". July 28, 2025.