BY Daniel Bampoe
The fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, has been one of the most contentious national issues in Ghana over the last two decades.
The menace has polluted major water bodies, degraded arable lands, and created severe environmental and security challenges.
Media Crusade And National Outcry
In March 2017, Accra-based Citi FM initiated a bold media crusade against galamsey.
The campaign quickly rallied support from other media houses, civil society organizations, and environmental activists, all of whom called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to intervene.
At the time, President Akufo-Addo’s administration was barely three months old. Ministers had not fully assumed office, deputy ministers, metropolitan, municipal, and district chief executives (MMDCEs), as well as heads of state institutions, were yet to be appointed.
Despite this, the galamsey threat had already escalated to a national emergency. Water bodies, including the Pra, Ankobra, and Offin, were heavily polluted, while vast tracts of land across the country were degraded.
Galamsey Under the NDC Era
Critics argue that the illegal mining crisis was not created under the Akufo-Addo administration but rather inherited from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which governed from 2009 to 2016.
During that period, little was done to effectively tackle galamse
It is widely alleged that several NDC appointees, including ministers and party executives, were actively involved in illegal mining activities. Galamsey was reportedly institutionalized through a GYEEDA module called Youth in Mining, under which party youth were recruited and deployed to concessions owned by politically connected individuals while drawing state-funded allowances.
NPP’s Approach
Upon assuming office in 2017, President Akufo-Addo promised to tackle the galamsey menace head-on without blaming the NDC.
Instead, his government rolled out a raft of initiatives to clean up what he described as a deep-rooted national crisis.
Over the last eight years, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government launched major interventions, including Operation Halt II, the Community Mining Scheme (CMS), and policies to sanitize small-scale mining (SSM).
The government recognized the importance of the small-scale mining sector, which at its peak employed over one million people.
However, nearly 50% of those workers operated illegally. Small-scale mining contributed significantly to the mineral output, accounting for 43% (2.1 million ounces) of total gold production in 2018, 36% in 2019, 31% in 2020, and 100% of diamond production during the same period.
Key Interventions
To consolidate small-scale mining in a safe and sustainable environment, government initiatives included:
Reviving District Mining Committees (DMCs).
Developing the Minerals Cadastral Administration System (MCAS).
Establishing Community Mining Schemes (CMS).
Introducing an Operational Manual for Responsible SSM/CMS.
Conducting geological investigations to identify viable SSM zones.
Supplying mercury-free gold processing equipment.
Deploying speed boats on river bodies.
Training and recruiting River Guards.
Reclaiming degraded lands.
Introducing a digitalized National Assay Platform.
Reducing withholding tax on gold exports from 3% to 1.5%.
Implementing traceability systems for gold sourcing.
The Minerals Commission also received extensive logistical support, including 20 new pickup vehicles, 187 laptop computers, 10 blast monitors, and other modern monitoring equipment.
In 2022, the government commissioned five speedboats under the control of the Ghana Navy to patrol polluted rivers, while situational monitoring rooms were set up to track mining equipment under L.I. 2404.
The Political Dimension
Despite these efforts, illegal mining has remained a politically charged issue.
The NPP accuses the NDC of deliberately sabotaging efforts to sanitize the sector and using the lapses in implementation for political gain.
The government insisted that its commitment to fighting galamsey had been unmatched, urging Ghanaians to demand accountability from the NDC regarding its record between 2009 and 2016.
NPP communicators argue that if the NDC could call for a “state of emergency” on galamsey when in opposition, then now, in government, they must prove what concrete measures they are implementing to stop the menace.
Now
Illegal mining continues to threaten Ghana’s environment and water security.
While successive governments have introduced policies, the effectiveness of implementation remains under scrutiny.
