Prophet Nigel Gaisie, founder and leader of Prophetic Hill Chapel, has lauded chiefs in the Volta region for ensuring their lands are devoid of illegal mining activities, also known as ‘galamsey’.
Despite the presence of mineral resources such as gold in the Volta region, Nigel Gaisie says the chiefs’ insistence on not allowing anyone to mine illegally has rid the land of the environmental devastation caused by galamsey in other areas.
In a Facebook post on Monday, October 6, 2025, he held that fighting illegal mining should not be the burden of the government but rather the traditional authority, who are the custodians of the lands upon which these minerals are mined.
He explained that traditional authority has the power to prevent anyone from entering a forest reserve or mining near river bodies, but have looked on for such activities prevail.
In his post, he praised the chiefs in the Volta Region for consistently kicking against any moves to allow illegal mining in their territory, thereby making it one of the few areas with clean water in the country due to the chiefs’ insistence on saying no to galamsey.
“The galamsey problem should not be placed at the doorstep of the presidency (regardless party A or B) but at the feet of our local authority (chiefs and queens),” he stated.
Explaining how cultural observances have been adhered to by residents in some parts of the country, the man of God said it is the same way they can make pronouncements on mining on their lands to be respected in order to protect the environment.
“I believe that if a chief in any of the jurisdictions declares a ban on galamsey with all well-meaning intentions, no man born of a woman will have the audacity to go and do galamsey.”
To the chiefs in the Volta region, the man of God said they have demonstrated leadership by ensuring their environment is safeguarded.
“And kudos to the Volta region chiefs for not allowing anyone to do galamsey on your soil. As it stands, the Volta region is the only jurisdiction within the country where minerals exist but is devoid of galamsey,” he said.
“And this is not by magic but by the visionary traditional authorities who have stepped their foot on the ground to kick this existential threat from their territory,” he lauded, adding that the chiefs’ “vision for protecting the environment for the unborn generation is something posterity will reward you for.”
