A Communications Team member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and spokesperson for the Bawumia campaign has proposed a comprehensive strategy to tackle illegal mining, popularly known as “galamsey,” in Ghana.
Speaking on the JoyNews AM show, she emphasised the need to balance environmental protection with the livelihoods of small-scale miners.
Her proposals include:
- Government-Led Prospecting – Dr. Amoakoh highlighted the problems caused by the current prospecting license system, where miners often start digging before proper exploration. She proposed that the government handle all prospecting, identifying deposits and eliminating the need for miners to use trial-and-error methods. “Once you take away that ability for people to go and prospect, you deal with a significant portion of the problem,” she said.
- Dedicated Funding and Bank for Miners – Many local miners bring in foreign partners, often Chinese, due to lack of capital. To address this, Dr. Amoakoh proposed setting up a special bank and fund tailored to the mining sector. This would provide loans for legitimate operations, reduce reliance on foreign investors, and ensure sustainable profitability.
- Common-User Processing Facilities – To reduce the use of harmful chemicals like mercury and cyanide, she suggested establishing small processing facilities in mining communities, such as Akwatia. This would allow miners to safely extract gold under controlled conditions.
- Environmental and Security Measures—Dr. Amoakoh recalled introducing mercury-free gold processing machines in late 2024 and deploying river wardens to patrol water bodies. She stressed that law enforcement alone would not solve the problem. “We help miners do the right thing first, then augment with security services,” she explained.
- Comprehensive Eight-Point Plan—The initiative covers multiple aspects of illegal mining, with each point targeting a specific challenge, from funding and licensing to environmental protection and community oversight.
Dr. Amoakoh also criticised the mismanagement of galamsey under President John Mahama, saying, “It was a big scam, and their own people have taken it up in the most irresponsible way possible. The people of Ghana are going to get tired of it.”
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