Senior Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has cast doubt on the government’s commitment to ending illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, describing the situation as one marked by “a lot of activity, but no progress.”
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Mr. Bentil argued that despite years of discussions, policy announcements, and the establishment of various institutions, illegal mining continues to devastate Ghana’s environment.
“We’ve talked and talked. I have said all kinds of things — some taken, some not taken. But look, activity is not the same as progress. We are seeing a lot of activity, a lot of talk, but no progress. Galamsey is getting worse, so we don’t need more talk,” he said.
He pointed out that while the government has made strides in mobilising gold resources through the establishment of the Goldboard and other initiatives, the core issue of illegal mining remains unresolved.
“Despite all the mountain of talk when this government came in, nothing or not much has been done in terms of stopping galamsey.
“We’ve passed laws, created institutions, and even mobilised billions of dollars’ worth of gold, but we have not been able to stop galamsey,” he lamented.
According to Mr Bentil, the government’s actions suggest that it is more interested in benefiting from the proceeds of galamsey than eradicating it.
“I’ve come to the conclusion that we will not win the galamsey fight. There is no sincerity in doing that. It is not you and I who have to solve galamsey, it is the President, his cabinet, his ministers, and the people we have given authority to.
“To me, they have no interest in solving it because they think not solving it has better political benefits for them,” he said.
He warned that Ghana will pay a heavy price for the continued destruction of its environment in the pursuit of short-term political and financial gains.
Source: Prince Adu-Owusu
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