Galamsey fight: Are galamseyers stronger, having more weapons than our military? — Prof. Agyekum laments

Professor Kofi Agyekum, popularly known as Opanyin Agyekum, has expressed his frustration with the government’s inability to effectively combat illegal mining, also known as galamsey, which has plagued Ghana for years.

Galamsey has severely damaged the country’s water bodies and environment, with minimal action taken to curb its devastating impact.

The illegal mining activities continue to be a major challenge for the nation, partly due to the involvement of traditional leaders, government officials, and other influential individuals.

The Ghana Water Company Ltd. (GWCL) has reported alarming levels of water pollution as a result of galamsey.

According to the GWCL, “about sixty percent (60%) of the catchment capacity is silted due to illegal mining, compromising the quality of raw water. We are currently recording an average turbidity of 14,000 NTU instead of 2000 NTU designed for adequate treatment.”

Speaking on Peace FM’s "Kokrokoo" morning show, Opanyin Agyekum expressed his disappointment with the government and security agencies for their failure to clamp down on illegal miners.

He questioned the state’s apparent inability to confront the galamseyers effectively.

“Do the galamseyers outnumber us, or are they stronger than us? Do they have more weapons, such that when you go to stop them, they can overpower us?” Prof. Agyekum, who is also the Head of the Linguistics Department at the University of Ghana, asked pointedly.

He criticized the government’s relaxed attitude towards addressing the issue and called on the authorities to take decisive actions to end the illegal mining menace.

“The government has relaxed her efforts,” he noted.