President John Mahama should have done more to combat illicit mining, often known as galamsey, according to the communications minister, but he maintains that his dedication to the cause is far more than what Ghanaians experienced under the Akufo-Addo administration.

Sam Nartey George defended his long-held belief that galamsey may be overthrown if there is genuine political resolve in an interview with JoyNews' PM Express.

When asked if he still believed that President Akufo-Addo, in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief, could have put a stop to Galamsey in a week, he said, "Absolutely."

The Nana Akufo-Addo administration had been in place for seven years and nine months at that point. It was reasonable to demand action following the creation of several anti-galamsey task forces and the expenditure of millions of cedis. We failed to observe it.

The MP from Ningo Prampram contended that President Mahama, who has been in office for nine months, is subject to the same criteria.

“Do I wish I had seen more? Absolutely. I wish it ended today,” he admitted. “But in the nine months, I can confidently say that I see a desire and a will to deal with galamsey that didn’t exist in the previous eight years.”

He claims that President Mahama has already shown political bravery by permitting inquiries into two party executives who are alleged to have engaged in illicit mining.

“Under the previous president, a regional chairman openly told a minister that they must engage in galamsey because the party needed money. The president went on to campaign for that individual. That was tacit endorsement,” he said.

Sam George highlighted recent successes under President Mahama, including military operations that recovered seven out of nine forest reserves where mining had been ongoing.

He also mentioned a significant stakeholder gathering that is scheduled for October 3, where the president will meet with over 30 civil society organizations to create a national strategy.

Nevertheless, he thinks President Mahama needs to do more.

"There is much more that could be done to enforce the law. We could go more quickly," he emphasized.

"The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is off to a great start, but we can't sit back and enjoy ourselves. In honor of the eight brave boys who perished in the helicopter disaster, we should do everything in our power to win this war.

"I have never, ever called for a state of emergency," Sam George said in response to allegations that he had once declared a state of emergency in areas affected by galamsey.

He supports focused and ongoing military actions instead.

The greatest existential threat to our country is still Galamsey. The drug cartels in Ghana are comparable to those in Colombia. To win this war, our military can conduct surgical operations," he insisted.