Politics Hinders Efforts to Combat Illegal Mining, Says Former Forestry Commission Head
The former Director of Operations for the Forestry Commission, Charles Owusu has warned that the involvement of politics in the fight against illegal mining, also known as galamsey, in Ghana is unlikely to be effective.
Speaking on Nkwantannanso on May 9, he highlighted that when illegal mining is mixed with politics, it can lead to corruption, favouritism, and a lack of accountability. This situation can tempt politicians to support or protect illegal mining operations for personal gain or to maintain support from particular groups.
“There are civil servants whose responsibility is to ensure that illegal mining activities are checked but no one is holding them accountable,” he added.
“When reports like the one from Professor Frimpong-Boateng are released, the usual thing for Ghanaians is to talk about it but there is no action. The media talks about it but nothing happens.”
According to him, to effectively combat illegal mining, there needs to be an improvement in law enforcement.
“Hold the officials at the Forestry Commission and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources accountable.”
Owusu emphasised that by implementing these measures, Ghana can make significant progress in addressing illegal mining.
However, it is crucial to keep politics separate from the enforcement and regulation of mining activities to ensure transparency, accountability, and effective governance in the sector.
