The convener of the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining says the success of the fight against illegal mining now rests heavily on how decisively the Attorney General handles long-standing galamsey cases and prosecutions.
Dr Ken Ashigbey, speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, said public confidence in the anti-galamsey effort depends on visible action against powerful actors who continue to operate with impunity.
“So there’s that Akonta Mining issue that has been going on forever. I would expect that some speed will come to that,” he said, describing delays in key cases as a major setback to the fight.
Ghana has for years struggled to contain illegal mining, which has devastated forests, polluted major rivers and weakened enforcement institutions.
Successive governments have pledged crackdowns, but critics say prosecutions have lagged behind arrests and investigations.
Dr Ashigbey said several matters referred for investigation have stalled and require urgent attention.
“There were the issues about the cases that the AG asked the EOCO to look into, I think that’s also taking some time,” he said.
He also pointed to the need to revisit findings from past investigations that named influential figures.
“There’s a situation of former Environment Minister Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng’s report, which also mentioned a politically exposed person. I would hope that that also will be looked into,” he said.
The Frimpong-Boateng report, produced during the height of the anti-galamsey campaign, documented alleged political interference and named individuals allegedly connected to illegal mining operations.
The report sparked public debate but has yet to result in high-profile prosecutions.
Dr Ashigbey said the focus must now shift to those who drive and finance illegal mining rather than only low-level operators.
“But the galamsey kingpins, I would expect the AG to deal with them so that we can get to the roots of the problem,” he said.
He stressed that without firm prosecutions, the fight against galamsey will remain cosmetic and unsustainable, warning that delays only embolden those destroying the country’s environment for profit.
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