The Secretary General for Diplomatic Envoy Globalisation, Hon. Samuel Aryeequaye, has argued that Ghana’s failure to end illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, is not due to technical difficulties but political interference and vested interests.
Speaking at the Diplomatic Envoy UN Model Conference 2025, held in Accra from June 27 to 30, Hon. Aryeequaye said the menace persists because politicians have often used it as a bargaining tool for votes, shielding illegal miners who act as financiers or political mobilisers.
“This cycle of compromise has robbed Ghana of clean water, fertile lands, and a safe environment,” he stated.
He proposed a bold shift in strategy: empowering traditional leaders, as custodians of the land, to spearhead the fight against illegal mining.
According to him, chiefs possess the cultural authority and territorial knowledge to identify and stop activities that destroy rivers and farmlands.
However, such empowerment must come with clear accountability mechanisms.
Hon. Aryeequaye outlined a four-point framework for government consideration:
- Shift Responsibility to Traditional Leaders – Chiefs should be given the mandate to safeguard their lands, with accountability for any illegal mining that occurs within their jurisdictions.
- Accountability Through Law Enforcement – Chiefs found complicit or negligent in tackling galamsey should face arrest and possible prosecution.
- Partnership with Government Agencies – Chiefs, district assemblies, and security agencies should collaborate to flush out illegal miners using community-driven intelligence and enforcement.
- Political Non-Interference – Politicians must stop shielding illegal miners for electoral advantage, prioritising the survival of Ghana’s rivers and farmlands over short-term political gains.
“This model is not about weakening traditional leadership but about restoring their rightful role in protecting the land for future generations. It will also prevent the dangerous politicisation of illegal mining and place responsibility where it naturally belongs,” he emphasised.
Delegates at the conference warned that illegal mining continues to deprive millions of Ghanaians of access to clean water, undermining progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation for All.
Hon. Aryeequaye called on the President, Parliament, and the National House of Chiefs to urgently adopt this framework, stressing that Ghana’s survival depends not on political slogans but on courageous reforms that protect the nation’s land, rivers, and people.
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