Greatest enemy to Ghana’s galamsey fight is political interference — Erastus Asare Donkor

Investigative journalist Erastus Asare Donkor has identified political interference as the biggest obstacle to Ghana’s fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

The journalist who has reportedly extensively on the menace said political actors and some traditional authorities continue to shield financiers of the destructive activity, making it difficult for law enforcement to act decisively.

Speaking at CDD-Ghana’s 20th Kronti ne Akwamu Lecture in Accra on Thursday, November 27, Asare Donkor stressed that the miners operating in the pits are not the real problem, but those in leadership who enable the menace.

“The problem is not the miner in the pit. It is the leader looking away. Our greatest enemy is not the technology. It is inconsistency, political interference, and lack of accountability,” he noted.

He urged President John Dramani Mahama to caution his appointees and party officials against meddling in anti-galamsey operations.

The award-winning journalist outlined severe environmental and health consequences of galamsey, citing contaminated rivers, degraded forest reserves, and findings of heavy metals in water and food sources.

He also criticised weak enforcement and the lack of accountability among some Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) who allow illegal miners to operate with impunity.

Asare Donkor further called for strict monitoring of excavators, declaring water bodies as security zones, resourcing law enforcement, fixing the licensing regime, and providing alternative livelihoods for mining communities.

The lecture, attended by politicians, diplomats, academics and civil society actors, was themed “Galamsey: A Country’s Search for a Solution in Plain Sight.”

The Kronti ne Akwamu Lecture is CDD-Ghana’s flagship annual public forum on democracy and good governance, designed to bridge research, reflection and public interest advocacy.

Established in 2005, the series invites prominent local and international voices whose work demonstrates commitment to democratic governance, accountability and inclusive development.

Through these lectures, CDD-Ghana aims to deepen public dialogue and inspire renewed thinking on Ghana’s governance and development challenges.