The Coalition Against Galamsey Ghana (CAGG) has pushed back against the government’s recent Accountability Series presentation, insisting that the “era of impunity” regarding illegal mining activities is far from over.
In a press statement issued in Accra, the Coalition acknowledged some progress under the current administration but painted a stark picture of escalating lawlessness, particularly in the Eastern Region, and called for urgent action against politically exposed persons and “kingpins” involved in the illicit activity .
The statement, signed by Convener Kenneth Ashigbey, takes direct issue with remarks by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, who had indicated that the era of impunity was over.
“We completely disagree with the Ministry’s assertion… that ‘the era of impunity is over.’ The evidence on the ground says otherwise,” the Coalition stated.
CAGG notes that Ghana’s forests, rivers, and mining communities require enforcement “applied equally in every region, against every excavator, and irrespective of whose interests stand in the way.”
The Coalition highlights escalating lawlessness in areas like Apedwa, Anyinam, and Osino, even citing a recent clash between illegal miners and the NAIMOS team at Kyebi. They question why the government appears to be treating the region with “kid gloves” and suggest “selective enforcement” may be at play.
CAGG is calling on the President to fulfil a 2016 promise to make the Atewa Range Forest Reserve, a vital water source for millions, a National Park.
Despite President Mahama’s assertion in October 2024 that arresting kingpins is crucial to success, CAGG argues that almost 19 months into his term, no significant prosecutions of politically exposed persons have occurred, with the notable exception of Chairman Wontumi.
CAGG also raised troubling allegations that confiscated equipment is being returned to miners by the NAIMOS taskforce upon payment of fees, with motorbike owners reportedly paying GH₵15,000 to reclaim seized bikes. They are calling on NAIMOS to “come clean”.
The Coalition also laments an “uncollaborative approach” by the Ghana Police Service, suggesting that negligence and at times complicity in some jurisdictions are hindering the fight.
CAGG is demanding that the government publish the outcomes of investigations by EOCO into ruling government officials and the Professor Frimpong Boateng report. They have also called for the establishment of dedicated barriers to stop the movement of untracked excavators and the suspension of fuel sales to illegal operators by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
“We either deal with this menace, or we perish, because without clean water, clean air and standing forests, we are done as a people,” the Coalition warned, reiterating their readiness to work with the government to “close this gap”.
