Tanko Computer says government is committed to ending illegal mining
The acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC), Sofo Tanko Computer, has clarified that the government’s commitment to ending galamsey with a renewed sense of urgency is not to end mining in the country entirely.
According to him, the renewed spirit with which the government is committed to fighting galamsey is targeted at those involved in illegal mining activities in water bodies, banks of rivers and forest reserves.
He clarified while speaking on Metrov TV, saying the government has become increasingly worried about the wanton destruction of water bodies and forest reserves across the country through illegal mining activities.
The destruction of the environment witnessed almost every day across many parts of the country, he explained, is what has renewed the urgency with which the government is going to tackle illegal mining activities in the country in the coming days.
“We cannot stop mining in Ghana. It’s galamsey that we want to stop. They want to go and destroy the water bodies, destroy the forest cover and all that. That’s what we are targeting,” he explained.
Though he added that the government has a fair idea of the importance of small-scale mining and its contribution to the country’s economy, he explained further that the government does not support illegal mining activities that continue to cause wanton destruction across the country.
This, he said, explained why President Mahama has fully committed to fighting the canker ruthlessly in the coming days, warning that those engaged in illegal mining must start running from the forest and areas where they are not supposed to mine.
He claimed that the government’s decision to introduce an innovative programme on responsible mining to get the youth out of forest reserves and rather engage in responsible mining without destroying the environment, formed part of measures to curb the menace.
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However, he said, ministers who were travelling from Accra to Obuasi to launch the programme perished in a fatal helicopter crash on August 6, 2025, at Adansi Akrofuom.
The tragic death of the eight people in the crash, he said, has rather renewed the government’s commitment to taking the “bull by the horns” to end the menace to protect human lives, water bodies and our forest reserves.
“In fact, he’s [President Mahama] even mad at what happened because they died in action. They were going to launch this program that would benefit the youth and generations to come.
“You know they [galamseyers] die a lot through that kind of process, and so these are things that His Excellency John Dramani Mahama is going to do. He’s committed, and he’s going to take the bull by the horns,” he explained.
He issued a warning to all those who are engaged in all forms of illegal mining activities in the forest reserves and water bodies to start running away because the renewed sense of urgency with which the government is going to fight the menace will see illegal miners, also called galamseyers, treated as if they are not Ghanaians but aliens.
NAAB/SEA
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