Gov't galamsey fight has not been aggressive enough — Prof Isaac Boadi

The Executive Director of the Institute of Economic Research and Public Policy, Professor Isaac Boadi, says the government’s fight against illegal mining remains weak and has failed to yield the needed results.

He said the current approach by the John Mahama-led administration lacks the urgency required to tackle the growing environmental damage caused by galamsey.

Galamsey continues to destroy land and pollute major water bodies despite interventions by successive governments.

Recently, there have concerns raised by The Church of Pentecost over the impact of polluted rivers on baptism in some mining communities.

Speaking on Accra-based JoyNews' AM Show on Friday, April 24, Prof Boadi said although some steps have been taken, the outcomes remain unsatisfactory.

“Just to give you an account, because it will be unethical to say that we have not seen any attempt from this administration. There's a difference between effort and results,” he said.

He stressed that the real measure of success should be visible improvement in the quality of natural resources, particularly water bodies.

“What I want to see is there's a clean water that I can drink from, because it used to be…" he said.

"We see Ghana's natural resources systematically under siege, and the commitment or the effort of this administration, for me, we have not been aggressive enough,” he added.

Prof Boadi stressed that until tangible results are achieved, the fight against galamsey cannot be considered effective.