By Philip Antoh
The Convener of the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining, Dr. Ken Ashigbey, has warned that the government’s crackdown on illegal mining will continue to fail unless state officials actively enforce the law.
Speaking on Joy FM on Wednesday, July 15, Mr. Ashigbey argued that while the Minister in charge is making frantic effort, the broader anti-galamsey campaign is being sabotaged by the very state operatives tasked with supporting it.
He pointed out that despite the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) making several arrests, illegal mining continues unabated in full public view.
“The challenge is that some of the people who support [the minister] to make this fight effective are not doing enough,” Ashigbey said, citing mining activities along the Eastern Bypass where vehicles are parked openly yet operations continue without interference.
Ashigbey specifically called out Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), stressing that they must be held accountable for what happens in their jurisdictions.
Beyond arrests, he questioned the lack of prosecutions for the powerful financiers behind the illicit trade.
“How many of the people who are really fuelling this illegal mining have been arrested? What has happened to the investigations into public officials alleged to have been involved? What has happened to the Attorney General’s directive for EOCO to investigate some individuals?” he asked.
Ashigbey noted that President John Mahama has already acknowledged the involvement of government insiders in galamsey and urged state institutions to coordinate effectively to investigate and prosecute those implicated to achieve lasting results.