SONA 2026: Over 114 galamsey cases pending in courts — Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that more than 114 case dockets involving hundreds of accused persons in illegal mining (galamsey) activities are currently pending before courts across the country.

Delivering the 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament in Accra on Friday, February 27, the President described illegal mining as a grave threat to Ghana’s environment, water bodies, public health, and national security.

He said government has intensified the prosecution of persons engaged in galamsey, shifting focus from only arresting low-level offenders to dismantling the organised criminal networks behind the operations.

“In all these galamsey operations, there are big fish who never get caught,” he stated, stressing that enforcement efforts are now targeting financiers and kingpins.

According to him, specialised prosecutorial teams have been deployed to fast-track illegal mining cases, strengthen the presentation of evidence in court, and aggressively pursue the confiscation and forfeiture of equipment and proceeds derived from illegal mining activities.

The pending cases are spread across courts in towns and communities most affected by illegal mining, as government seeks to clamp down on the menace through legal and institutional reforms.

President Mahama reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to protect Ghana’s natural resources and hold perpetrators accountable, while also reiterating broader commitments to gender equality, social protection, and the welfare of vulnerable groups.