Statistics: The Tool Used to Fight Galamsey — And the Reality

Looking at the current state of the River Ankobrah, situated in the home region of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, the contrast between official claims and on‑ground reality is striking.

Only recently, Hon. Armah Kofi Buah appeared on the government’s Accountability Series, proudly recounting what he described as his ministry’s successes in the fight against galamsey.

He reeled out statistics on excavators rendered immovable, pumping machines seized, and changfan machines destroyed. Yet despite all those impressive figures, he could not show Ghanaians the true state of the River Ankobrah in his own home region — or the devastating environmental destruction illegal mining has inflicted upon it.

If the government’s anti‑galamsey campaign is genuinely yielding results, then the condition of the River Ankobrah should be one of its strongest pieces of evidence — not one of its greatest indictments.

The NDC sought the mandate of Ghanaians on the promise of rescuing the nation from the stranglehold of galamsey. Today, that promise is being tested by the reality on the ground. Rivers continue to be polluted, forests continue to disappear, and communities continue to bear the consequences.

Ghanaians were promised decisive action against galamsey — not impressive statistics without visible results. If our rivers remain polluted and the destruction persists, then the government’s anti‑galamsey narrative risks becoming a public relations exercise rather than a measurable national success.

The hope that accompanied the NDC’s assumption of office was that it would restore our environment and protect our natural resources. For many Ghanaians, that hope is rapidly giving way to disappointment, and confidence is being replaced by disillusionment.