The Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey (GCAG) has demanded immediate action by President John Dramani Mahama to fight the insidious illegal mining activities that continue to wreak havoc on the country’s land and water resources.
According to the coalition, the current approach by the government in the galamsey fight was lethargic and smacked of failure because it was being fuelled by “impunity among enforcement agencies and government representatives.”
A statement signed by the convener of GCAG, Kenneth Ashigbey, and other leading members on March 28, stressed that its careful assessment of the galamsey fight had established that the government’s efforts had not yielded the needed results.
“While the coalition acknowledges that the anti-galamsey effort began promisingly with some modest results, it notes with deep concern that meaningful impacts remain largely unachieved,” the coalition added.
The GCAG said it was worrying that, despite repeated government assurances, galamsey was worsening and threatening water bodies, forest reserves, and the health and safety of citizens.
“The Coalition acknowledges President John Dramani Mahama’s commendable revocation of L.I. 2462, but expresses deep concern that after one year in office, the state of Ghana’s forests has worsened.
“When the President took office, nearly 45 forest reserves were impacted by illegal mining; that number has now risen to at least 50 forests, with over 9,000 hectares of area affected, which is very disappointing,” the coalition added.
Context
The Forestry Commission has revealed that a whopping 8,923.8 hectares of the country’s forest reserves, equivalent to 12,500 FIFA standard football fields, had been heavily impacted by illegal mining activities as of December 31, 2024.
However, the findings of a national satellite remote-sensing-based verification of mined-out areas in forest reserves, released by the commission on February 24 this year, revealed that the affected areas encompassed 45 forest reserves and a national park.
The commission has told the Daily Graphic that it is currently analysing data to determine the extent of destruction to forest reserves as of 2025.
The GCAG also raised concerns that, despite government declarations that forests were red zones, it had observed no meaningful change as the Atewa Forest, crucial for biodiversity and water, faced unprecedented illegal mining.
Touching on the way forward, the GCAG underscored the need for the President to resource the Forestry Commission with appropriate logistics and tools, “and to invoke strong deterrent measures to protect all forests in Ghana.”
Again, the coalition stressed the need for President Mahama to act swiftly by launching an enforcement exercise to save the Atewa Forest, a source of water for over five million Ghanaians.
“Even more critical, Mr President, is the urgency to repeal E.I 144 to give long-term protection to the Achimota Forest.
Our petition for this has been before you since last year, and there is also a recent request from the Board of Forestry Commission asking for the same.
Citizens expect you to act to save Achimota by revoking EI 144; however, the time is ticking,” the coalition stressed.
Water pollution
Touching on how to address the incessant water pollution by illegal miners, GCAG called on the President to demonstrate strong leadership by ensuring the removal of Chanfan machines and other floating devices on water bodies.
The coalition also stressed the need for District Police Commands to be empowered to support the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) to crack down on galamsey in water bodies.
Additionally, the coalition called for weekly publication of water quality statistics to keep citizens informed about the progress of work to restore the sanctity of the country’s rivers.
Justice demands
The GCAG further called on the President to protect environmental activists by ensuring that those who were being prosecuted for defending the environment were set free.
“We demand that the government stops prosecuting and drop all charges against the Atronsu five environmental activists; the state must protect environmental defenders as human rights defenders,” the coalition said.
It added that “persecuting citizens for peaceful advocacy” while allowing companies and illegal miners to destroy water bodies and forests with impunity violated the state’s duty to protect them.
Swift accountability
The coalition proposed that the issuance of all small-scale mining licences must be paused until robust monitoring and enforcement protocols are established.
It also called on the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and Attorney-General to fast-track investigations into galamsey cases for justice to be served.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh