Professor Gyampo Reminds President Mahama of Galamsey Pact with Organised Labour

Professor Ransford Gyampo, a respected academic at the University of Ghana, has reminded President John Dramani Mahama about the commitment he made to organised labour regarding the tackling of illegal small-scale mining (galamsey). Gyampo’s comments followed a meeting between the leadership of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) and President Mahama. During the meeting, Gyampo emphasized that the President had signed a pact ahead of the 2024 general elections, pledging to take action on the galamsey issue.

He expressed hope that President Mahama would fulfill this commitment, as it had been a key part of the agreement with the unions. The delegation took the opportunity to also raise several critical issues with the Vice President, including challenges facing higher education institutions. These issues ranged from infrastructure deficits, a high student-to-lecturer ratio, deteriorating conditions of service for university staff, and insufficient national research funding.



They also discussed the legal framework for the Ghana Universities Superannuation Scheme (GUSSS) and broader issues related to the fight against illegal mining, environmental impacts, national security challenges, and the importance of maintaining peace in the country. In response, Professor Opoku-Agyemang, the Vice President, expressed her gratitude to UTAG and TUTAG for their congratulatory messages and reassured them of the government’s commitment to addressing the challenges raised during the meeting..