By Daniel Bampoe
The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana Rev. Prof. Johnson Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana Rev. Prof. Johnson Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu has challenged claims that the country is making progress in the fight against illegal mining, insisting that the destruction of the environment shows that Ghana is far from winning the battle against galamsey.
In a strongly worded statement, the Methodist cleric questioned the credibility of reports suggesting that the country was gaining ground against illegal mining and its devastating effects on rivers, forests and other ecological resources.
Drawing on his pastoral duties and frequent travels across the country, the Presiding Bishop said his observations did not support claims of significant progress in the fight against the menace.
“My work and pastoral duties as Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana takes me around the country quite a bit,” he stated, arguing that the situation on the ground contradicted any suggestion that Ghana was successfully overcoming the environmental crisis.
He declared that claims of victory in the fight against illegal mining “cannot be true, not by any stretch of the imagination,” expressing frustration over what he considered an inaccurate portrayal of the country’s environmental situation.
Bishop Demands Decisive Action, Not Gradual Measures
The Presiding Bishop said Ghanaians had been promised decisive action against illegal mining, including the declaration of a state of emergency, rather than what he described as a gradual approach to tackling the problem.
According to him, the scale of environmental destruction demands urgent and forceful intervention, particularly as illegal mining continues to threaten the country’s ecological assets.
He referred to the situation as “Ghana’s Ecological Suicide,” a description previously used by one of his colleagues to capture the severity of the environmental crisis.
His comments reflect growing public frustration over the persistence of illegal mining and concerns about whether existing enforcement measures are sufficient to protect water bodies, forests and land from further degradation.
The demand for a state of emergency also raises questions about the government’s preferred strategy, the effectiveness of enforcement operations and the political will required to confront illegal mining networks.
However, the Presiding Bishop’s statement did not identify the specific measures he believes should accompany such a declaration or provide a detailed assessment of individual anti-galamsey operations.
The cleric also criticised a headline published by the Ghanaian Times on Friday, October 23, 2026, describing it as “annoying.”
His objection appeared to centre on the impression that Ghana was winning the battle against illegal mining, a conclusion he considers inconsistent with what he has observed during his travels around the country.
“Be sincere, please!” he urged, calling for greater honesty in the public discussion about the government’s efforts and the environmental consequences of illegal mining.
His remarks place renewed attention on the role of the media in reporting the anti-galamsey campaign, particularly the need to distinguish official claims of progress from the continuing environmental challenges confronting affected communities.
