PNP Chairperson Janet Nabila Dares Mahama: “Give Me One Month and I’ll End Galamsey”
Founder and National Chairperson of the People’s National Party (PNP), Janet Asana Nabila, has thrown down a bold challenge to President John Dramani Mahama, daring him to hand her the authority to tackle illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey.
According to Ms. Nabila, if entrusted with the mandate, she would completely eradicate galamsey in just one month.
Speaking in an interview on JoyPrime’s Prime Morning on Monday, she stressed that only the Executive—headed by the President—has the absolute power to bring the menace to an end. She noted that while traditional rulers play an important role in community governance, their powers have been overshadowed by the concentration of authority in the presidency.
“The Chiefs can’t do this because we have given too much power to the President. President Mahama can do anything if he really wants to end galamsey,” she declared.
Ms. Nabila went further to directly appeal to the former President, urging him to give her the opportunity to prove her capability:
“I am pleading with President Mahama to give me one month. As a woman, I will show him how power is used. It is like he has power but does not know how to use it. Before the God we serve, if President Mahama wants to end galamsey, he should allow me the chance. If I do not end it in four weeks, my name is not Nabila.”
Her strong remarks add to growing criticism of successive governments over their inability to permanently address galamsey, which continues to ravage Ghana’s water bodies, forest reserves, and farmlands despite years of policy interventions and enforcement operations.
President Mahama, in his recent commentary, has argued that the country is not yet at a stage where a state of emergency should be declared over galamsey, suggesting that existing laws remain sufficient if strictly implemented.
Nonetheless, Ms. Nabila’s daring challenge has injected a new dimension into the national discourse, raising questions about political will, leadership, and the kind of radical measures needed to finally rid the country of the destructive practice.
Credit: Albert Kuzor
