The government must engage major stakeholders in the mining sector to establish partnerships between mining companies and the private sector to address illegal mining, known locally as “galamsey.” This illegal activity is causing severe environmental damage, including the destruction of river bodies, forests, and entire ecosystems. Effective collaboration is needed to promote sustainable mining practices in affected communities.
Richard Kumadoe, a security analyst and fraud expert, highlighted the severity of the issue on the “Adekyee Mu Nsem” morning show on Ahotor 92.3 FM, hosted by Citizen Kofi Owusu in Accra. He argued that the government lacks the political will to tackle illegal mining, suggesting that political leaders are major beneficiaries of the proceeds from galamsey. Many of these illegal miners are reportedly affiliated with political parties, which may be tacitly supporting their activities to fund party operations.
In a related development, the Ghana chapter of the Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa (CYNESA) has expressed profound frustration with the government’s inaction on the illegal mining crisis. The group condemned the environmental and social havoc wrought by galamsey, as highlighted in Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si. They criticized the widespread devastation and exploitation occurring with alarming impunity.
In a press statement issued on September 6, 2024, CYNESA urged key stakeholders to intensify their efforts to combat the crisis. The statement called on Catholic Members of Parliament to speak out and take decisive action. CYNESA also urged the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference to mobilize Catholics and other concerned Ghanaians to demand immediate and concrete steps to end galamsey, including organizing peaceful protests.
This call to action follows a similar plea from the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and other health unions, which have urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to immediately ban all small-scale mining operations, legal or illegal. This recommendation comes in response to the extensive damage to the country’s forest reserves and water bodies, as well as the serious public health and environmental risks posed by illegal mining activities.
The galamsey crisis has escalated into a national emergency, causing widespread destruction of water bodies, forests, and farmlands. Despite various government initiatives to combat illegal mining since President Akufo-Addo’s 2017 pledge to address the issue, including the introduction of the Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995), the problem persists. The Act imposes heavy fines and long prison sentences for offenders, both local and foreign.
The government also established the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining and Operation Vanguard, a security task force to tackle the problem. However, seven years later, galamsey activities remain rampant, and accusations of corruption and involvement of politically exposed persons persist.
As the general elections approach, galamsey has become a major political talking point, with the two major political parties engaging in a blame game. Meanwhile, the country continues to grapple with the severe impacts of illegal mining.
Story by: Alexander Kukah
