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The Executive Chairman of Jonah Capital, Sir Sam Jonah, has stressed that Ghana’s battle against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, cannot be won without the active participation of traditional leaders and local communities.
His remarks come at a time when civil society organisations and advocacy groups are mounting pressure on the government to declare a state of emergency in mining hotspots across the country, as the devastating impact of galamsey on water bodies, farmlands, and forests worsens.
Speaking during a fireside chat organised by the School of Communications Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Accra, the respected businessman argued that the problem is not the absence of legislation but the chronic failure of authorities to enforce existing laws.
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“The laws are there; don’t mine in forest reserves, and when you do, you have to clean it up. So, it is not that we need more laws; it is the case that we need more enforcement,” he emphasised.
Sir Sam Jonah, a former CEO of Ashanti Goldfields, said real enforcement requires the inclusion of chiefs and community stakeholders, who are often sidelined in the fight despite their direct influence at the grassroots.
“You can only enforce when there is an important element that is missing in all of it, which is the involvement of traditional leaders and the community,” he added.
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