Ken Ashigbey
The Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey (GCAG) has issued a strong call to government to take decisive, non-negotiable action in the country’s protracted fight against illegal mining, describing the issue as an “existential threat” to Ghana’s environmental integrity and national security.
At a press conference in Accra on Thursday 19 June, the civil society coalition, comprising media organisations, professional bodies, and concerned citizens, commended recent steps by President John Mahama’s administration, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to clamp down on illegal mining popularly known as galamsey.
However, it described ongoing efforts as “inadequate” and “dangerously compromised” by institutional failures and the alleged complicity of political and security actors.
A central demand of the coalition is the complete revocation—not amendment—of Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, which opened Ghana’s forest reserves to mining activities. According to GCAG, repeated assurances from government officials, including President Mahama, gave Ghanaians hope that the regulation would be scrapped outright.
Quoting Prof. Jerry Kuma, Special Advisor to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, who had stated in May that “The President has listened to the concerns of the citizenry and CSOs and has directed that the L.I. be revoked in its entirety”, the coalition expressed disappointment that no action had yet been taken in Parliament.
“We will not accept an amendment that responds to the interests of certain individuals, not the interest of the nation. The L.I. 2462 must be revoked and with urgency,” the coalition said.
With the legal window for Parliament to act closing quickly, the coalition warned that if the amendment regulation is allowed to mature into law, it would resume its court action, describing such an outcome as “a generational betrayal.”
Police complicity and failures in enforcement
GCAG also called for an immediate and transparent investigation into allegations of police complicity in illegal mining, particularly following a confrontation in Akomfere where officers allegedly shielded foreign nationals engaged in galamsey.
“The enforcement regime has cracks. There’s no justification why illegal miners get away with displacing farmers, destroying rivers, and attacking public officers,” they noted.
They demanded public disclosure of all recent police transfers from mining zones and called for the prosecution of complicit officers, especially at the district and regional levels.
Forestry Commission officers under attack
The coalition decried the rising number of violent assaults on Forestry Commission staff, including off-duty attacks by armed illegal miners. They called for immediate steps to protect officers, including the provision of arms and improved security arrangements, particularly in forest reserves.
“If, as the CEO of Goldbod declared, mining in forest reserves is ‘haram’ to this government, then the government must prove it,” the coalition added.
State of emergency and security mobilisation
Citing the near-fatal attack on Dr Hannah Louisa Bissiw during an anti-mining operation in Bui Sobinso earlier this month, the group reiterated its longstanding call for a state of emergency in critical galamsey-prone areas.
They suggested measures such as military deployment, drone surveillance, and freezing of assets linked to illegal mining operations, warning that these areas were becoming “training grounds for mercenaries” and a threat to national stability.
Politically exposed persons must face justice
The GCAG also turned its attention to politically exposed persons allegedly involved in illegal mining, singling out the case of Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), who is currently under investigation. They welcomed the arrest but demanded full prosecution of all directors of Akonta Mining Ltd.
They further condemned new reports implicating some NDC constituency executives in galamsey, referencing the unresolved allegations against MP for Aowin, Hon. Oscar Larbi.
“The hypocrisy is unacceptable,” they said. “We demand investigations and disciplinary action—without political protection.”
They also called for full transparency around names mentioned in the Professor Frimpong-Boateng report, which detailed political interference in the galamsey fight under the previous administration.
“This is about survival”
In a passionate closing statement, the coalition warned that the consequences of inaction would be catastrophic not only for Ghana’s environment but for public trust in governance.
“This is not just about galamsey. It is about the citizens’ trust in the government. It is about our survival. The weight of this responsibility cannot be overstated,” they said.
The GCAG reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing every civic and legal channel available to ensure that the government protects the country’s forests, rivers, and communities from the growing grip of illegal mining.
Reporting by Abigail Teye in Accra
