GCAG Challenges Mahama to Identify a Responsible Small-Scale Miner

 

The Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey (GCAG) has issued a bold challenge to former President John Dramani Mahama, urging him to name a single licensed small-scale mining company operating responsibly in the country.

This response comes after President Mahama’s remarks during the Presidential Media Encounter on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, in which he justified the withdrawal of police personnel from anti-galamsey operations. He argued that it had become increasingly difficult for security forces to distinguish between legal and illegal miners.

In a strongly worded rebuttal, the GCAG dismissed the President's justification as "misguided" and unfair to the police.

“The President’s claim is misplaced. The police, while not perfect, had shown courage and made significant progress in controlling illegal mining activities. Withdrawing them sends the wrong message,” the statement read.

The Coalition emphasized that the central issue is not the inability to differentiate between legal and illegal miners, but rather the lack of genuinely responsible mining practices across the board.

“We challenge the Presidency to point to even one licensed small-scale mining company that is truly operating within the law and protecting the environment,” the GCAG asserted.

The group also criticized Mahama’s suggestion that alternatives should be provided before clamping down on illegal mining, saying such a stance inadvertently legitimizes and emboldens criminal mining activities.

The GCAG further expressed concern over the newly launched National Alternative and Illegal Mining Oversight Structure (NAIMOS), warning that without sufficient funding and political will, the initiative is destined to fail.

On the matter of declaring a targeted state of emergency in galamsey-affected areas, the GCAG disagreed with the government's current stance. They reminded the public that Mahama, prior to his presidency, had aligned with civil society groups in calling for such a measure—arguing that the situation has only deteriorated since then.

The Coalition’s challenge adds to growing public scrutiny over the government's commitment and approach to fighting illegal mining, which continues to threaten Ghana’s environment, water bodies, and agricultural lands.

Source: Theghanareport.com