The running mate to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate says the Mahama-led government, if elected into power, will not stop galamsey (Illegal mining), but rather will educate miners to mine responsibly so they don't destroy water bodies. 

Despite her party's recent stance on the activity, Prof Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang told an NDC event in Amenfi Central in the Western North Region last Saturday, that the NDC will not stop galamsey which is employing the locals.

“In Amenfi and other towns like it, galamsey is rampant, causing serious harm to the environment. But what choice do the youth have when there are no jobs? They are forced to turn to illegal mining as their only option for survival,” she said.

Adding that: "We know galamsey is happening here in Amenfi. Where are the galamseyers? 

“It’s not today we discovered gold in Ghana, and galamsey has been around for a long time. But if the government destroys the few jobs in town and doesn’t create new ones, what are the youth supposed to do?”

Prof Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang further said, “The youth need jobs, and if galamsey is what they will continue to do, then they should be taught how to do it safely and without destroying their communities. We have come here with good intentions, to show a better way."

While addressing the crowd, next to her was the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate for Amenfi Central, Joana Gyan whose old pictures and videos have since gone viral working at a galamsey site.