President John Dramani Mahama has committed to a “ruthless and relentless campaign” to end illegal mining, known as ‘galamsey’, to end the menace that has resulted in significant losses.
The pledge follows the tragic military helicopter crash on August 6 that killed eight people, including two cabinet ministers who were at the forefront of the anti-galamsey fight.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa revealed the President’s new resolve to JoyNews journalist Blessed Sogah today (August 14), after signing a book of condolences for the victims.
The minister’s remarks signal a major shift in the government’s approach, which many view as a decisive response to a crisis that has spiralled into a national tragedy.
“I can confirm to you that you are going to see a fight that has never been witnessed in this country,” Ablakwa stated. “President Mahama is going to lead a very ruthless and relentless campaign against Galamsey. He has not minced words at all.”
Mr Ablakwa’s comments shed light on an urgent mini-cabinet meeting held earlier in the day, where the President reportedly made his intentions clear.
“We had a brief cabinet meeting earlier today, and the president was very clear. There was no ambiguity that he would be leading a war that we have never seen to deal with this existential threat once and for all,” the minister added.
The late Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, along with six other public servants, died while on a mission to launch a community mining scheme, a key initiative to bring some illegal miners into a regulated framework.
Their deaths have galvanised the government to take a more aggressive stance.
The new campaign comes amid alarming data on the severe environmental and economic toll of illegal mining.
According to recent reports, over 19,000 hectares of cocoa farmland, a pillar of Ghana’s economy, have been destroyed by galamsey.
The use of toxic chemicals like mercury and cyanide has polluted more than 60% of Ghana’s major water bodies, including the Pra and Ankobra rivers, raising fears that the nation may have to import water by 2030.
Past efforts by successive governments, including Operation Vanguard and Operation Halt, have often been met with limited success.
This new “ruthless” approach is expected to be a more comprehensive and sustained effort, targeting not just the miners but the powerful sponsors behind them.
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