Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, has voiced surprise at the tone and posture of the Convener of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, Dr. Ken Ashigbey, during the recent engagement between President John Dramani Mahama and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Gbande said he acknowledges the vital role civil society plays in holding leaders accountable.
However, he was taken aback by what he described as Dr. Ashigbey’s “hard language” towards the President.
“I was quite surprised at the posturing of my brother Ken Ashigbey, but of course, that is the role of civil society. You spoke to the President with hard language to awaken the government and to awaken the rank and file,” he remarked.
The Deputy Director of Operations maintained that the NDC has made significant progress in addressing illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
He stressed that the NDC’s approach is more coordinated and community-based compared to what he described as the NPP’s “armchair commentary.”
“Collectively, I am on the ground more than the entire NPP put together, and I can say we have improved in the fight against galamsey and will continue to make that progress,” he asserted.
According to Mr. Gbande, the NDC has taken deliberate steps to discipline its political actors and align them with the national interest. He questioned the commitment of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to the same cause.
“When political actors got involved, we began taming our party, getting our people to understand the seriousness of the matter. Where is the NPP in all of this? They are just sitting in Accra, writing the same big English that took them to opposition,” he said pointedly.
Mahama’s meeting with the CSOs on Friday, October 3, 2025, focused on national issues such as governance, transparency, and the fight against illegal mining.
Source: Gertrude Otchere
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