Professor Eric Abavare, President of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), has defended his use of the term “joker” to describe President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in relation to the government’s efforts to combat illegal mining, also known as galamsey.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, October 12, Prof. Abavare questioned the president’s performance in fighting galamsey, stating that his description was justified given the government’s failure to significantly address the environmental damage caused by illegal mining.
His comments drew criticism from Enoch Afoakwa, a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) communications team, who expressed discomfort with the term used. However, Prof. Abavare stood by his statement, asserting that it reflected the reality of the president’s handling of the issue.
“My learned friend Enoch said I have described the president with a word that he is not comfortable with. I want him to understand that I want my government to succeed. I want my country to succeed, and if my government succeeds, it means my country also succeeds,” Prof. Abavare explained.
He further elaborated on his choice of language by referencing the government’s inability to reclaim lands destroyed by illegal mining: “I made those descriptions about the president and I still stand by them; that he is a big joker! When we attended elementary school, you recall that we studied something called ’rounding off.’ You have a fraction that is less than 5, and then you round it out to be zero. So, if the environmental audit report of the Accountant-General says that we have reclaimed less than 1 percent of destroyed lands and in the examination, if you get less than 50 percent, we say you have failed.”
Prof. Abavare concluded by questioning the president’s performance on galamsey, saying, “Assuming I have put the president to an examination on galamsey and I am supposed to assess him on his performance of land reclamation and he gets less than 1 percent, and I describe him as a joker, is it out of the blue?”
His remarks highlight ongoing frustrations with the government’s inability to effectively address the devastation caused by illegal mining, as Ghana continues to grapple with the environmental and social consequences of galamsey.