By asiedu

Copyright ahotoronline

Ghana’s pressure group FixTheCountry is sounding the alarm on illegal mining, known as galamsey, urging an immediate, community-driven approach to combat the destructive practice. In a stark warning, the group cautions that Ghana risks plunging into a “Mad Max wasteland” if decisive action isn’t taken promptly.
FixTheCountry’s investigations reveal alarming complicity among some traditional authorities, with claims that many chiefs are directly involved in galamsey activities. The group points out that even informal informants tip off galamsey operators when security forces approach, highlighting the need for chiefs to be held accountable and tasked with leading the fight.
FixTheCountry proposes a bold strategy which includes Community Youth Guard System which will allow Chiefs to recruit young people from their communities to work in a 24-hour shift system alongside security agencies and the government’s Blue Guard fighters to protect against galamsey.
They also urged government to pay these chiefs and youth a minimum wage, creating jobs while safeguarding Ghana’s precious water bodies and natural resources.
The call comes amid growing concerns over galamsey’s devastating environmental impact, including polluted rivers like the Pra, Ankobra, Offin, and Birim, and destroyed farmlands. The Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey has also criticized the National House of Chiefs’ stance, questioning their commitment to fighting illegal mining
Some chiefs have shown support for anti-galamsey efforts. For instance, the Paramount Chief of Lower Axim, Awulae Attibrukusu III, warned that any chief found culpable in galamsey should consider themselves dethroned. Similarly, the President of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II, has called for naming and shaming chiefs and politicians involved in galamsey.
The fight against galamsey remains a pressing national issue, with calls for urgent, collective action to protect Ghana’s environment and future.
story: Nyamebeye Kofi Ansah Sasraku