Economist and former World Bank Macroeconomic Sector Manager Cadman Atta Mills has defended his decision to publicly criticise the National Democratic Congress (NDC), arguing that loyalty should not be equated with silence in the face of flawed policies.
In a post on X on September 22, Mr Mills dismissed suggestions that critiquing his party amounted to betrayal. “You are not ‘disloyal’ because you criticise your political party’s policies and sometimes with passion. A political party is not (and should not be) a monolith. In speaking against your party’s policies, you encourage debate and increase the chances of better policies being adopted,” he wrote.
The economist, who has consistently raised concerns about the destructive effects of illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, doubled down on his refusal to remain quiet on the issue.
“I refuse to be silenced on galamsey (on other policies), because of: (1) the patently false claim that I was silent on the misdeeds of the previous government in mining (I wrote volumes) or (2) that as a ‘party elder’ I should not publicly express my disagreements with my party’s policies,” he stated.
On September 14, Mr Mills had already criticised the NDC government’s approach to illegal mining, warning that short-term economic gains could not offset the health and environmental devastation caused by galamsey. “I refuse to pay for the accolades President Mahama and the NDC are receiving for the cedi’s recovery with my health or life,” he declared.
Making a sharp distinction about his role in the party, he also rejected attempts to categorise him among the leadership whose silence is expected. “I am a party member and elderly (very elderly), but I am not ‘a party elder’. Those (muzzled) creatures belong to the party’s ‘Council of Elders’,” he wrote.
