The Deputy National Director of A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bosu, has expressed disappointment over government’s handling of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, saying that despite years of promises, little progress has been made in tackling the menace.
Speaking on the KeyPoints on October 4, after a recent engagement between civil society organizations (CSOs) and President John Dramani Mahama, Bosu said expectations for the meeting were modest, but even then, civil society left without the meaningful dialogue they had hoped for.
“We went in not expecting much, to be frank. What really happened was more of a presidential briefing than an engagement. It was almost like the president was meeting with the media, not CSOs. Questions were very limited, and there was no real opportunity to push back or highlight issues we are seeing on the ground,” he explained.
According to Bosu, the meeting should have served as a platform for the president to update the nation on the true state of the galamsey fight, the results of interventions so far, and the way forward.
Instead, he said, it largely turned into a one-way information session with only about 10 or 11 questions allowed from participants.
He stressed that what civil society expected most was clarity on benchmarks and milestones that would determine if or when the president would declare a “state of emergency” on galamsey.
“Instead, the president deferred, indicating he needed feedback from the National Security Council before making such a pronouncement. For citizens, this did not respond to the urgency of the crisis. We needed clearer markers to measure progress, but that was missing,” Bosu said.
Bosu acknowledged that government has identified five priority areas in the fight against galamsey — stakeholder engagement, regulatory reforms, law enforcement, sustainability, and institutional coordination.
The A Rocha Director insisted that while nine months may be a short time for a new government, the severity of the galamsey crisis demanded much stronger action than has been seen so far.
“Government has the power, the authority, and the mandate to act decisively. Within this period, a lot more could have been done. What we’ve seen so far are activities and efforts, yes, but the results are not matching the urgency of the crisis,” Bosu stressed.
He warned that unless government moves beyond talk and begins to deliver on its promises, the fight against illegal mining will continue to stall.
“Galamsey is a national crisis that has devastated our rivers, forests, and communities. It cannot be fought with words alone. It’s time for government to commit fully and show results on the ground. That is the only way we can win this fight,” Bosu emphasized.
