Keep partisan politics out of galamsey fight — Odeneho Appiah
An aspiring Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, has stated that the fight against illegal mining, popularly referred to as galamsey, transcends partisan politics.
He has, therefore, called for a united national effort to combat illegal mining, stressing that it should not be a fight by the NPP nor the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“The fight against galamsey is not about the NPP or the NDC.
It is about Ghana,” he said.
Environmental crisis
Odeneho Appiah made the call when he visited the Heaven Seekers Ministry on Sunday, where he joined congregants to celebrate Mother’s Day.
He said the growing environmental crisis posed by illegal mining should be viewed as a national concern rather than a political issue.
He warned that illegal mining was destroying lands and endangering lives, adding that the country could not afford to remain silent in the face of the environmental damage.
Odeneho Appiah said tackling the menace would require not only effective policy interventions but also divine support through collective prayer.
“The fight demands divine intervention,” he said and urged Ghanaians to unite in both action and prayer to protect the country’s natural resources.
Chairmanship aspirations
Touching on his bid for the Ashanti Regional chairmanship of the New Patriotic Party, Odeneho Appiah pledged to lead with humility, dedication and integrity if elected.
“We cannot come here without asking for prayers.
On August 8, we are going to hold our regional elections,” he said.
“I am contesting for the position of the regional chairman.
I have done a lot of work. I have trust in God, and I believe that on August 8, 2026, at the latest by 6 pm, I am going to be the next Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party,” he declared.
Odeneho Appiah later told the Daily Graphic that he would work hard to reclaim all the seats the NPP lost in the 2024 elections and also increase the votes of the party in the region.
He asked members of the party to close their ranks and forge ahead in unity.
That, he said, was the only way to bring back the party into government.
“Let us remain united, stay focused and together we will bring back the party into government,” he stated.
Fact sheet
At the last Ashanti Regional Delegates Conference on May 28, 2022, the incumbent chairman, Benard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, sailed through with 464 votes, while his close contender, Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, popularly known as COKA, garnered 306 votes.
