Joyce Bawah Mogtari
Presidential Adviser and Special Aide to President John Mahma, Joyce Bawah Mogtari says the establishment of specialised courts for illegal mining offences marks a decisive moment in Ghana’s fight against galamsey—one she believes will finally end the cycle of impunity that has allowed environmental destruction to flourish.
According to her, the new dedicated courts demonstrate a renewed national commitment to enforcing the law and safeguarding the country’s natural resources.
Her comments follow government’s announcement that special courts will be set up across the country to fast-track the prosecution of galamsey cases. The move has been widely welcomed, especially by communities whose rivers, farmlands and livelihoods have been severely affected by illegal mining.
Mogtari noted that for years, delays in prosecuting offenders had weakened public trust and emboldened illegal operators. “This intervention is long overdue. We cannot continue to watch our environment destroyed while offenders walk free because cases drag on for years,” she emphasised.
She urged the judiciary, security agencies and the Minerals Commission to coordinate effectively to ensure that investigations, arrests and prosecutions are handled with urgency and integrity.
The policy shift is expected to boost Ghana’s broader anti-galamsey efforts, which have struggled due to weak enforcement, political interference and the sheer scale of illegal operations across mining communities.
With the new courts, authorities hope to deliver swifter justice, deter would-be offenders and provide some relief for communities whose ecosystems continue to come under threat.
