'I faced those who openly insisted that there’s no galamsey going on' – Prof Gyampo

Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has rejected suggestions that his stance against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, has shifted.

Prof Gyampo, who is also a Political Science professor at the University of Ghana, said videos circulating online featuring his previous and recent remarks on illegal mining should not be interpreted as evidence of a change in his position.

Recounting his advocacy against the practice, he said he had confronted authorities who allegedly admitted that they were hesitant to tackle galamsey for fear of losing electoral support.

“I faced those who openly insisted that there’s no galamsey going on. I faced those who sought to attack me for what I stood for,” he said.

According to him, efforts were also made to undermine the group he led through the creation of splinter organisations. He further alleged that some group leaders were offered bribes to stop raising concerns about illegal mining.

Prof Gyampo said his campaign against galamsey had also exposed him to death threats and defamatory publications. He added that some ministers declined invitations to participate in discussions on the issue.

Despite these challenges, he maintained that his position had remained consistent, stressing that he had never suggested that the galamsey problem had been completely resolved.

“I have never said galamsey has been dealt with fully and I have never shied away from calling for more to be done in addressing the menace,” he said.

Prof Gyampo further described illegal mining as an existential threat and called for more radical measures to confront the problem.