The Minority in Parliament has sharply chastised the NDC government’s handling of the canker of illegal mining, describing their dispatched approaches as inefficient and weak, signaling what the minority describes as a weakened state control.
The Minority addressing the media, on President John Mahama’s one-year in office, fingered the Mahama-led administration for its poor enforcement and compromised supply chains that, according the minority, are fueling illegal mining across the country.
The Minority cited the August 2025 helicopter crash that killed eight people, including two ministers, stating the tragedy mirrored the deadly and far-reaching consequences of illegal small scale mining in Ghana. Despite promises to root out the canker after the August, 2025 incident, little could be seen done to eliminate illegal mining which has wrought irreparable damage to Ghana’s national resources, the Minority contend.
According to the Minority, major rivers such as the Pra, Ankobra and Birim have been heavily polluted, farmlands destroyed, and forest reserves degraded by mining activities. They also linked the ongoing destruction of water bodies to water supply challenges in Accra and other parts of the country.
The Minority argued that the persistence of galamsey reflects institutional failure and a lack of political will to confront powerful interests behind the illegal trade. They warned that public confidence in state institutions is being eroded as environmental degradation continues with little accountability.
They are calling for stronger enforcement, transparency in mineral supply chains and comprehensive reforms to restore state authority and protect the country’s natural resources.
