The Managing Editor of the Newscenta newspaper, Elvis Darko, has criticised the government’s approach to tackling illegal mining, saying there has been no significant progress in the fight against the menace.
His comments follow President John Dramani Mahama’s meeting with some civil society organisations on Friday, October 3, 2025, to update them on efforts to curb illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
During the meeting, President Mahama said the fight against galamsey could be won without declaring a state of emergency, but added that he would not hesitate to do so if advised by the National Security Council.
Mr. Darko said successive governments have applied the same strategies with little or no tangible results.
“We must face the truth, and the truth is that, looking at the state of our water bodies, it’s clear that nothing significant is happening in the galamsey fight. It’s just a repetition of the same actions producing the same results. The arrest of excavators was also done by past governments, so what is new?” he asked.
Mr. Darko cautioned the government against what he described as an attempt to impose a false sense of progress on the public, saying such narratives only demonstrate a lack of genuine commitment to ending illegal mining.
“What is this impression these days that Ghanaians must forcibly accept that the government is achieving something in its fight against galamsey? When government communicators begin to push such narratives, it’s clear the government is not willing to truly combat illegal mining,” he said.
He maintained that a total ban on illegal mining was necessary to protect the country’s water bodies and forest reserves from further destruction.
