By Daniel Bampoe
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has issued a strong admonition to President John Dramani Mahama, urging his government to take a firm, decisive stance in the fight against illegal mining—popularly known as galamsey—even if such decisions risk political backlash in future elections.
Speaking during a dinner held in honour of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) at his Bontefuo Hall in Manhyia Palace on Saturday, the Asantehene warned that the galamsey menace has evolved into a dangerous, mafia-like enterprise that threatens Ghana’s environmental and social stability.
“Galamsey, for example, is an issue that is so dear to everybody’s heart. We have to be very careful because it’s destroying this country. It’s becoming more and more like a mafia situation where, if we are not very careful, it’s going to engulf all of us,” Otumfuo cautioned.
The Asantehene, visibly disturbed by the extent of environmental devastation, said the leadership must demonstrate courage and take decisions in the national interest rather than allow politics and electoral considerations to determine the country’s environmental policy.
“We have to take this issue very, very seriously. We joke about it, or we think it’s not serious, but it is. And I was asking how many people would vote for a party or a government—why we don’t want to take a firm decision on these things. Because it’s politics, it’s because of votes, nothing else,” he said.
Otumfuo stressed that leadership demands courage, even if it means losing elections.
“If that’s why they won’t vote for your party, then they shouldn’t vote,” he declared bluntly. “Unless we are all complicit, I can’t see why we cannot take up this matter seriously.”
The Asantehene revealed that illegal mining was thriving even within his jurisdiction and lamented that local chiefs have become powerless in confronting the heavily armed galamsey operators.
“Maybe it’s not happening where you are, but I must say that in my domain, it’s happening there. And I’ve challenged the chiefs that if you’re there and your land is being messed up like this, they tell me, ‘We don’t have the arms, we cannot fight them because they are so fully armed that we cannot even go anywhere near,’” he recounted.
He dismissed the claim that galamsey serves as employment for the youth, describing it as a failure of leadership rather than an economic necessity.
“It’s not about employment, because we can get alternative employment. It’s about a decisive decision of leadership to be able to take this matter,” Otumfuo stated.
He reminded the President that responsible mining has been part of the history for centuries and that the destruction caused by today’s galamsey operations has no justification.
“My forefathers mined gold 400 years ago,” Otumfuo said. “All the gold they mined and left for us is still there. They mined responsibly, not by destroying the forests or polluting the rivers. So, it’s not mining that is the problem; it is the greed and irresponsibility of our time.”
In a direct message to President Mahama, Otumfuo said: “If that’s why they won’t vote for your party—then they shouldn’t vote! Take a firm decision and fight galamsey. It is the right thing to do for Ghana.”
Government’s Anti-Galamsey Strategy
President Mahama said his government’s anti-galamsey strategy is built on three pillars—law enforcement, land reclamation, and alternative livelihoods.
He outlined several flagship programmes aimed at providing alternative jobs and reducing dependence on illegal mining, including the 24-Hour Economy Initiative, Feed Ghana Programme, Poultry Revitalisation, and the National Apprenticeship Programme.
The President also revealed that the EPA, in collaboration with private sector partners, has begun a 1,000-hectare land reclamation project to restore degraded lands with economically viable tree species such as oil palm and bamboo.
“Through these initiatives, we are creating opportunities for our youth to earn decent livelihoods without destroying our rivers and forests,” he stated.
Galamsey Crisis
Illegal mining has been one of the most intractable environmental challenges for decades.
Successive governments have launched various operations—such as Operation Vanguard, Operation Galamstop, and NAIMOS—to combat the menace, but with limited success due to weak enforcement, corruption, and political interference.
Under the previous Akufo-Addo administration, the President declared “I put my presidency on the line” in 2017 to end galamsey.
However, despite initial successes, illegal mining activities resurged, contaminating major rivers like the Pra, Offin, Ankobra, and Birim.
Environmental groups, including the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), UTAG, and Friends of the Nation, have all warned that the country faces an impending water crisis if galamsey is not brought under control.
During his campaign in 2024, then-opposition leader John Mahama criticised the Akufo-Addo government’s failure to stop galamsey and called for a state of emergency in affected areas.
But since assuming office, President Mahama has said such a measure would be a “last resort,” insisting that existing laws and executive powers should be fully applied first.
Mahama Admits Difficulty but Fails to Declare Emergency
President John Dramani Mahama, responding to growing criticism, including from the clergy and civil society, has maintained that while his administration remains committed to fighting illegal mining, the issue is complex and cannot be resolved overnight.
At a recent Jubilee House press briefing, the President acknowledged that the government was under pressure to declare a state of emergency in mining areas due to the widespread destruction of water bodies and forests, but he ruled out such a move.
“I’ve never deluded myself that the fight against illegal gold mining would be a one-off event,” Mahama said. “The decay has eaten so much over the last eight years, and it’s going to take a lot of work.”
He continued, “Dealing with the issue of illegal mining is going to be a process, but we will not give up. We have a determination to get on top of it.”
President Mahama argued that declaring a state of emergency would only “create panic and tension” and insisted that existing legal mechanisms were adequate to address the menace. Instead, he proposed a long-term approach centered on community cooperation, livelihood alternatives, and sustainable mining reforms.
However, critics argue that these programmes lack urgency and fail to deter the powerful networks behind illegal mining.
NDC’s Galamsey Dilemma: From Critic to Victim
Observers say the Mahama administration’s slow and indecisive approach reflects a deeper political dilemma within the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
In opposition, the NDC fiercely criticized former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s militarized Operation Vanguard and Operation Halt campaigns, describing them as “anti-poor” and “politically motivated.” The NDC promised to adopt a more “humane and community-centered” approach if returned to power.
Yet, nearly a year into office, the NDC has largely continued the same strategies it once condemned—deploying security task forces, burning excavators, and arresting small-scale miners—without achieving significant results.
Meanwhile, reports from the Western, Ashanti, and Eastern Regions suggest that illegal mining has surged since the change of government, with several local NDC executives allegedly linked to galamsey operations. Some District Chief Executives (DCEs) and constituency chairmen have even been captured on video aiding or defending galamseyers.
