The fight against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, can only be effectively won if state institutions are empowered to lead the effort instead of politicians, according to former Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu.
Speaking on Citi TV’s Eyewitness News on December 17, 2025, Dr Kokofu said repeated attempts that place politicians at the centre of the fight have failed over the years.
“It takes the use of state institutions that can help. The current situation and the past situation where politicians are put in the forefront in the fight against galamsey has proven not to be worth it. It is not working. Why are we continuously doing that?” he asked.
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Dr Kokofu pointed to President John Dramani Mahama’s first term as the first major effort by a sitting president to confront galamsey head-on, but said the approach did not succeed because politicians led the process.
“President Mahama in his first term was the first president in this country to have taken the battle against galamsey head on, and he failed. Between 2012 and 2014, it couldn’t work because politicians were put in the forefront. We had the inter-ministerial committee on galamsey and we all saw the results,” he stated.
The former Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency also looked back on the early years of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s administration, noting that some progress was made after 2017.
“If you will recall, the first real battle that was won against galamsey was chalked under the Akufo-Addo government,” he said, adding that the gains were later lost, especially during the second term.
“But going forward, we lost it, particularly in the second term. We couldn’t fight galamsey and it is obvious that it was part of our demise,” Dr Kokofu added.
Commenting on the current administration, he recalled that President Mahama, upon returning to office, promised new strategies to tackle galamsey, including the use of technology and artificial intelligence. He also mentioned Mahama’s earlier call, while in opposition, for a state of emergency to address the problem.
“He comes into office and it is one year, and he hasn’t been able to do anything and it has even escalated.
“For the first time in the history of this country, the fight against galamsey has consumed lots of lives, including our own precious ministers and other state actors,” he added.
Dr Kokofu argued that the failure to adequately resource and empower regulatory bodies has weakened the fight against illegal mining.
He identified the EPA, Water Resources Commission, Forestry Commission and the Ghana Geological Survey Authority as key institutions that should be leading the effort.
“These are four major state institutions that have a whole lot. When you bring them together, resource them fully and ensure there is a coordinated effort, they will be able to lead the fight,” he said.
He concluded by warning against continued political interference, insisting that history shows it does not work.
“Don’t put politicians there. They will never be able to do it. We have Mahama 1 to show, we have Akufo-Addo to show, and today we have it,” he said.
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