Former Presidential Aide and Senior Adviser to President John Dramani Mahama, Tony Aidoo, has called for a more aggressive military operation against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, warning that the continued destruction of Ghana’s forests and water bodies requires urgent government action.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Adekyee Mu Nsem programme in Accra on Thursday, August 27, 2026, Mr Aidoo said the Mahama administration had been in office for nearly two years, yet the galamsey menace continued to threaten the country’s environment and potentially the health of citizens.
He said the persistence of illegal mining should concern the government because of the extent of environmental degradation taking place in mining communities.
According to him, the administration must move beyond repeated assurances and adopt a more decisive approach to dealing with illegal miners operating in Ghana’s forests and around water bodies.
Mr Aidoo said if the government had been unable to eliminate the menace after nearly two years in office, it must accept that more effective measures were required.
He nevertheless noted that President Mahama still had about two years remaining in his mandate to correct the situation and demonstrate a stronger commitment to protecting Ghana’s natural resources.
As part of his proposed approach, Mr Aidoo called for the deployment of two military battalions into the affected areas for an intensive operation lasting approximately three weeks.
He argued that the military has personnel who are specifically trained to operate in difficult terrain, including forest environments, and questioned why such expertise could not be deployed to support the fight against illegal mining.
Mr Aidoo said a properly planned and intelligence-led military operation could help identify and flush out illegal miners from remote areas where other enforcement efforts have struggled.
He stressed that the proposed operation should not be a temporary show of force but a coordinated effort aimed at dismantling illegal mining activities and restoring government control over affected areas.
“If they can’t spare two battalions for three weeks, then what is the use of the army?” he asked.
Mr Aidoo also expressed concern about the environmental and potential health consequences of illegal mining, particularly the contamination of water bodies and exposure of communities to harmful substances.
He alleged that heavy metals associated with mining activities could contaminate water and other sources used by communities, although he acknowledged that specific links between such contamination and particular diseases require scientific investigation.
He nevertheless warned that the possible health implications should not be ignored, citing concerns over kidney, liver and other internal health problems.
According to him, the consequences of galamsey extend beyond the immediate destruction of forests and farmlands because polluted water bodies and degraded ecosystems could affect generations of Ghanaians.
He therefore urged the government to treat illegal mining as an emergency that requires sustained enforcement, intelligence gathering and strong political will.
Mr Aidoo said the remaining two years of the Mahama administration should be used to deliver concrete results in the fight against galamsey rather than allowing the problem to continue unchecked.
He maintained that the government had the security resources and institutional capacity to take stronger action and should demonstrate the political will to use them effectively.
Mr Aidoo further argued that soldiers have undergone extensive training, including operations in difficult and forested environments, and therefore could play a significant role in protecting Ghana’s natural resources.
He said the government must ensure that any military deployment is properly coordinated and supported by credible intelligence to avoid ineffective operations.
He warned that continued inaction could make the environmental crisis more difficult and expensive to reverse, particularly if the destruction of forests and pollution of water bodies continue at the current rate.
Mr Aidoo’s comments come amid continued public debate over the government’s approach to illegal mining and calls for stronger measures to protect Ghana’s forests, rivers and other natural resources.
Story by Stephen Kwaku Owusu Mintah, Ahotoronline, Accra.
