Abraham Koomson, Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), has called for President Akufo-Addo to be reported to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over two major concerns: the President’s failure to combat illegal mining (galamsey) and his lack of action following violence during the 2020 elections.
Mr. Koomson accused the President of using violence to secure power and argued that this, along with the tragic deaths of eight people during the 2020 election unrest, should be grounds for reporting him to the ICC.
He noted that four years after these deaths, President Akufo-Addo has shown no sympathy toward the victims’ families, further underscoring the need for international intervention.
The 2020 election violence, particularly in the Techiman South constituency of the Bono East Region, resulted in clashes between security personnel and civilians, leading to injuries and fatalities.
Despite these events, Mr. Koomson pointed out that the President has remained silent on the matter, which he sees as a failure of leadership.
Illegal mining, or galamsey, has also remained a critical issue. Mr. Koomson reminded listeners on Ahotor FM’s Yepe Ahunu show that President Akufo-Addo, in 2017, promised to fight galamsey, even risking his job to do so.
However, since that pledge, the situation has worsened. Water bodies have been polluted, farmlands destroyed, and many livelihoods lost due to illegal mining activities.
This issue has gained further urgency after the Ghana Water Company Limited reported severe water shortages in areas like Cape Coast and Elmina.
The company attributed these shortages to pollution caused by galamsey, which has compromised the water supply at the Sekyere Hemang Water Treatment Plant.
Environmental groups, civil society organizations, and health unions, including the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), have all called for an immediate ban on both legal and illegal small-scale mining.
These groups are deeply concerned about the public health risks and environmental destruction caused by galamsey.
According to Mr. Koomson, these failures—both the environmental crisis and the President’s inaction on election violence—reflect a broader lack of leadership and integrity within the government. He stressed that these failures demand international scrutiny, which is why he believes the ICC should step in.
During his interview, Mr. Koomson also criticized comments made by Nsawam Adoagyir MP Frank Annoh Dompreh, who blamed the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for causing more environmental damage through galamsey than the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Mr. Koomson called these statements irresponsible, arguing that the focus should be on solving the issue, not political point-scoring.
He further proposed that Ghana’s constitution be amended to require mental health screenings for anyone seeking high office, including MPs and Presidents.
This, he said, would prevent individuals like President Akufo-Addo and Frank Annoh Dompreh from holding positions of power, as they have failed to provide effective leadership for the country.
LISTEN TO ABRAHAM KOOMSON IN THE AUDIO BELOW:
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites) / Ahotoronline.com
