BY Issah Olegor
President John Dramani Mahama has vowed to launch the most aggressive anti-galamsey campaign in Ghana’s history, following the tragic August 6 helicopter crash that claimed the lives of eight people, including two cabinet ministers who were at the forefront of the fight against illegal mining.
Speaking after a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Foreign Affairs Minister and member of the Armed Forces Council, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, revealed the President’s new directive.
“I can confirm to you that you are going to see a [galamsey] fight that has never been witnessed in this country.
President Mahama is going to lead a very ruthless and relentless campaign against galamsey,” Okudzeto Ablakwa stated, emphasising that the administration is determined to honour the memory of the fallen ministers by completing their mission.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of intensifying government crackdowns on illegal mining in parts of the Western and Central Regions.
Earlier this year, a government advisory team led by Rear Admiral (Rtd) Moses Beick-Baffour faced fierce resistance while dismantling and seizing equipment from illegal mining sites in Anwia, Prestea, and Dunkwa.
In some instances, operations turned confrontational, with miners—backed by local leaders, including an NDC constituency chairman—blocking roads and challenging security forces.
President Mahama has consistently described galamsey as a national emergency. During his ‘Thank You Tour’ of the Western North Region in July, he warned that the country could no longer tolerate the destruction of forest reserves and water bodies.
“We are alarmed by the environmental destruction that is reported across Awaso, Dadieso, and Sefwi-Anhwiaso, mainly due to illegal mining. I must be honest, this is a national emergency,” the President declared.
He also condemned corruption within anti-galamsey operations, ordering the arrest of rogue taskforce members who have been extorting money from licensed small-scale miners.
“I have requested the authorities to arrest and prosecute any individuals involved in this illegal anti-galamsey activity,” Mahama said.
The stakes are high for the administration, with leading figures warning of political consequences if the government fails to deliver results.
Former Ambassador to The Netherlands, Dr Tony Aidoo recently cautioned, “If you don’t solve the galamsey problem, in 2028 Ghanaians will vote the NDC out.”
He reminded the party that Ghanaians care deeply about environmental protection and would not tolerate perceived inaction.
The devastation caused by galamsey is severe. By the end of 2024, over 670 square kilometres of land—an area the size of Singapore—had been degraded.
Mercury and cyanide contamination in major rivers such as the Pra, Ankobra, and Birim has reached alarming levels, posing long-term health risks and making water treatment increasingly costly.
The Ghana Water Company Limited has reported unprecedented challenges in providing safe drinking water, while farmlands have been lost to uncontrolled excavation.
In response, the NDC government has outlined a comprehensive anti-galamsey plan, including banning new mining in forest reserves, strengthening penalties under the Minerals and Mining Law, formalising small-scale mining through the newly established Ghana Gold Board, deploying AI to track mining equipment, and introducing large-scale reclamation and reforestation projects.
Alternative livelihoods are also being promoted to reduce rural dependence on illegal mining.
However, the fight has not been without political controversy.
Critics, such as NPP Communications Director Richard Ahiagbah, have accused the NDC of complicity in the galamsey surge, alleging that some party supporters and foreign armed groups continue to operate in protected forest reserves.
With tensions between enforcement teams, local communities, and political actors on the rise, Okudzeto Ablakwa insists the government will not be intimidated.
“This tragic setback will not derail the government’s mission,” he said. “We will honour the victims by completing their work in ending illegal mining in Ghana.”
The government’s escalated campaign, expected to begin in the coming weeks, will be the first major test of President Mahama’s pledge for a “ruthless and relentless” war on galamsey—a fight he insists the country cannot afford to lose.
