Fight against galamsey: Mere rhetoric?

Dead zones now characterise many of our water bodies, as they have lost the capacity to sustain aquatic life.

Forests and farmlands have also suffered severe ecological collapse, with some communities even reporting cases of babies born with deformities.

The above paints the effects of uncontrolled illegal mining (galamsey) in our country.

Apathy and lack of patriotism, among other factors, befit the general state of Ghana’s general outlook of the environment, against the backdrop of the fight against galamsey.

I have always maintained that Ghana is renowned for initiating laudable policies.

However, the trend has been that after the initial hype and zeal, these much vaunted initiatives fizzle out immediately, leaving in their trail nothing to write home about, especially when regimes change.

This is what is happening in the galamsey fight.

I have travelled often from Accra to my hometown in Sefwi in the Western North Region. I have come across polluted rivers, streams and degraded landscapes.

However, my visit to Takoradi on February 26, 2026, by road made me conclude that there is much ado about nothing with our laudable national initiatives, especially and more recently our fight against galamsey; it’s a mere rhetoric and nothing more, because it is riddled with corruption, nepotism, favouritism and “scratch my back and let me do likewise for you”.

The political class, and indeed, the citizenry, are to blame for this “nothing to show” syndrome.

Concern

My major concern is inconsistency in enforcement.

While certain crackdowns appear vigorous at the beginning, they lose momentum over time. Illegal mining activities that are halted temporarily often resume quietly after enforcement efforts decline. 

This pattern has created the perception among some members of the public that the fight against galamsey is episodic, rather than sustained, something I strongly share and associate with.

Successive governments, on the face of it, seem or purport to be waging relentless “war” on the menace, and have launched task forces spearheaded by the security forces, all to fight the canker. 

There have even been bans on illegal mining coupled with pledged strong enforcement, which play to the conscience of the people, and yet play to the gallery.

In spite of all the supposed initiatives, the reality on the ground raises a troubling conundrum and the conclusion that the fight against galamsey has become more rhetorical than practical.

Threat

There is no dispute that illegal mining poses a grave threat to Ghana’s environment and long-term economic stability.

Our rivers are increasingly polluted, farmlands are degraded, and once-lush forest reserves are being destroyed at an alarming rate. 

Communities that once depended on clean water bodies for fishing, farming and domestic use now struggle with contaminated sources.

And the Prah River at Beposo on the Cape Coast to Takoradi highway comes in handy, on which this article is predicated.

President John Dramani Mahama could not have said it better when he said at the 69th Independence Anniversary speech that Ghana was bigger than any individual; Ghana must be above partisan considerations in its march towards development.

I perfectly agree when the President also said Ghana’s upward trajectory to development could not depend solely on government appointees and, for that matter, leadership, but on every Ghanaian.

Against this backdrop, the strong language used by political leaders over the years has often created the impression that decisive action is imminent.

Announcements of operations, arrests, and equipment seizures frequently make headlines and yet we have nothing to show for that in terms of achievements or positive results. 

The persistence and apparent expansion of illegal mining activities in many parts of the country, in full view of the public and the very institutions funded with public resources to combat the menace, suggest that current efforts may not be achieving their intended impact.

Interference

Political interference in the fight has now become a clearer issue that cannot be ignored.

While the political class is seen to be cracking the whip through arrests and the prosecution of perpetrators, it appears less concerned about persistent reports and public discussions suggesting that individuals with political influence may be shielding certain operators from enforcement actions.

Such perceptions of selective enforcement risk weakening public confidence in the seriousness of the campaign.

The fight against galamsey also highlights a broader governance challenge: balancing environmental protection with the economic realities facing many citizens.

For thousands of young people in rural areas, illegal mining has become a source of livelihood in the absence of viable employment alternatives. 

Any effective strategy must, therefore, address not only enforcement, but also the socio-economic conditions that push individuals into illegal mining in the first place.

If Ghana is to win the battle against galamsey, the approach must move beyond declarations and periodic operations.

What is required is a coherent, sustained and transparent national strategy.

This includes consistent law enforcement, protection of forest reserves and water bodies, meaningful regulation of small-scale mining, and the creation of alternative economic opportunities for affected communities.

This is imperative in view of the fact that people are now cutting down cocoa trees for galamsey.

Equally important is accountability.

Institutions responsible for environmental protection, natural resource management, and law enforcement must be empowered and required to act without fear or favour.

Where officials fail in their duties or are found complicit in illegal mining activities, appropriate sanctions must follow, irrespective of their political inclination.

Ghanaians have heard many strong statements about fighting galamsey.

What the nation now needs is evidence that these words are translating into lasting action.

Protecting our rivers, forests and farmlands is not merely a political issue; it is a national imperative tied to the survival and prosperity of future generations.

Until those outcomes become visible, the question will continue to linger in the public mind: Is the fight against galamsey genuine, or has it become yet another national rhetoric?

The writer is Legal Manager/Company Secretary, 
Graphic Comm. Group Ltd., Accra. 
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