The President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor Eric Abavare, has blamed Ghana’s inability to tackle illegal mining (galamsey) on what he describes as moral decay and leadership failure among the nation’s elders and political class.
In a reflective Facebook post on Sunday, October 12, 2025, Prof. Abavare asserted that the continued destruction of water bodies and forest reserves is not just due to weak enforcement but stems from deep-rooted selfishness and a disregard for future generations.
“Apart from the lack of political will, we have greedy, dotard elders and leaders in this country who don’t care one bit about anyone but themselves, their families, and friends. They don’t care about any unborn generation,” he wrote.
According to him, this self-serving attitude has bred widespread frustration among the youth, many of whom now justify their involvement in illegal mining, believing that the nation’s leaders have already failed them.
Prof. Abavare further noted that the galamsey menace is a reflection of a moral leadership crisis, emphasizing that Ghana’s elders have failed to demonstrate true stewardship and integrity.
“We claim to have elders, yet they carry the cliché ‘miwua namiko’—to wit, ‘if I die, I’m no more.’ This mindset explains why the country is on autopilot,” he lamented.
He therefore called for a national moral renewal, urging government and civic institutions to address the underlying issues of greed, corruption, and short-term thinking that continue to hinder the fight against illegal mining.
Source: Adomonline
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