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    Galamsey persists because government refuses to enforce laws – activists say

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    By Winifred Lartey

    Copyright asaaseradio

    Galamsey persists because government refuses to enforce laws – activists say

    Farmer Bismark Oppong, environmental health and safety specialist Ernest Alazé, and A Rocha Ghana’s deputy country director Daryl Bosu have painted a grim picture of the human and ecological toll of illegal small-scale mining, known locally as galamsey, during an interview on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Tuesday.

    Oppong, who farms at dormaa ahenkro, said illegal miners polluted the river he relied on for irrigation, wiping out his seasonal vegetable farm that earned him between GHC30,000 and GHC50,000.

    “All of a sudden, the river got diluted with their washing. At the end of the day, we had no water to continue farming,” he said, adding that gun-wielding miners intimidated farmers who protested. “I reported the matter to the chief, but nothing came of it. I have not been able to continue farming again.”

    Alazé warned that the problem extends beyond livelihoods to long-term survival. “We are losing most of our water bodies… the turbidity is high, chemicals are all over the place, and we cannot even have fish farming,” he said. He cautioned that mercury and cyanide used in galamsey are leaving lasting deposits in soils and crops, with “young guys developing kidney and liver issues” as a result.

    Despite the devastation, he argued that the damage is not irreversible if pragmatic solutions are applied. “We cannot wake up a day and say we are stopping galamsey. People will resist because it’s their livelihood. But we need effective measures that help both sides,” he said.

    Bosu accused Ghana’s leaders of failing to enforce laws and policies that could curb illegal mining. “Our leaders have failed to implement the solution that we all know will solve the problem,” he said. “If something is not working in this country, we have no cause but to put the blame at the feet of the government because they are responsible for the leadership.”

    He said mining laws exist to track excavators, prosecute offenders, and hold landowners accountable for facilitating illegal mining, but they are rarely enforced. “We are living through different worlds… leadership is failing us. Our government is failing us,” Bosu added, renewing his coalition’s call for a state of emergency in targeted areas.

    The three voices underscore the cascading costs of galamsey: ruined farmlands, poisoned rivers, lost biodiversity, rising health risks, and weakened food security.

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