Both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have contributed to the failure to fight the illegal mining menace, popularly known as galamsey, in the country.
Francis Kwaku Poku, a former National Security Coordinator under the erstwhile John Agyekum Kufuor administration believes both political parties, instead of finding solutions to the problem when in power, focus on blame games.
“We have to concede that we’ve all done the wrong thing,” he told TV3’s Beatrice Claire Abena Adu on the Agenda show on Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
He reemphasised that those in authority should focus on finding a lasting solution to the problem that has affected Ghana’s environment, rather than pointing accusing fingers at each other.
Mr. Poku stressed that “all political parties have a part to play in what has happened, so we have to be honest and say that he who is without sin, let him cast the first stone.”
According to him, Ghana will only find a solution to the menace only when everyone accepts that they have faulted.
“All groups have to concede that we’ve not done well for our people, and the moment we come to this admission, I believe we’ll focus on the solution to the problem.”
Galamsey has destroyed forest reserves in the country and polluted water bodies where turbidity levels cannot be treated by the Ghana Water Company Ltd., forcing them to shut down some of their treatment plants.
Recent research has revealed that soil in mining areas where galamsey is prevalent has been contaminated with chemicals such as mercury and cyanide, used by illegal miners, thereby affecting food produced in these areas.
Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has invited major civil society organisations (CSOs) to the Jubilee House for a high-level engagement on the canker.
The meeting, scheduled for Friday, October 3, 2025, at 12:00 noon, will bring together government officials and civil society leaders to deliberate on lasting solutions to the environmental and social crisis caused by galamsey.
In a letter signed by Dr Callistus Mahama, Secretary to the President, the dialogue is described as a platform for “frank and constructive discussions” to harness collective expertise and perspectives.
“This engagement aims to provide a platform for frank and constructive dialogue between the Government and civil society on the menace of illegal mining, with a view to harnessing collective expertise, perspectives, and solutions to address this national challenge,” the letter stated.
The engagement comes at a time when illegal mining continues to spark widespread public concern over the destruction of water bodies, farmlands, and forest reserves, amid calls for stronger government action.
