The Director of Communications for the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM), Abdul Razak Alhassan, has alleged that the Ashanti Region alone accounts for nearly 50 percent of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, in the country.
Speaking on Burning Issues, Mr. Alhassan said the majority of challenges faced by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) originate from the region.
He further claimed that some members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ashanti are actively involved in illegal mining and are obstructing the work of the anti-galamsey taskforce.
According to him, attempts by NAIMOS to visit certain communities to educate residents on the dangers of illegal mining and introduce government-approved mining programmes have been met with resistance from individuals benefiting from the illicit trade.
“If I tell you the kind of challenges the NAIMOS taskforce is going through, especially in the Ashanti Region, you will be shocked. Some people even prevent NAIMOS from entering communities because powerful individuals are involved,” he alleged.
Mr. Alhassan added that politically connected individuals have influenced community members to turn hostile toward NAIMOS, resulting in attacks on anti-galamsey personnel.
He described the Ashanti Region as the headquarters of galamsey, stressing that it accounts for the largest environmental destruction linked to illegal mining.
“If the government can address galamsey in the Ashanti Region, we will be tackling almost half of the country’s illegal mining problem,” he said.
On reclamation, Mr. Alhassan revealed that some individuals falsely claim to be restoring mined lands but instead use the opportunity to continue illegal mining. He urged the government to thoroughly investigate such activities and strengthen oversight.
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