By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, and Member of Parliament (MP) of Ellembelle constituency in the Western Region, Mr. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has revealed that the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, collapsed under the erstwhile Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led administration.
According to him, weak enforcement of the galamsey fight led to its escalation, with only 4% of 2023–2024 arrests resulting in prosecution.
Speaking at a multiple-stakeholder engagement on illegal mining convened by President John Dramani Mahama in Accra on Friday, October 3, 2025, the Minister highlighted that out of 845 arrests made over the two years, only 35 cases were successfully prosecuted.
“And yet, law enforcement was weak,” the Minister lamented. He emphasised the slow pace of investigations and prosecutions as a major setback in the government’s crackdown on illegal mining.
A breakdown of the figures shows that in 2023, 218 individuals were arrested, leading to just 24 prosecutions. In 2024, despite a significant increase in arrests, 627 individuals, only 11 cases were successfully prosecuted.
Mr. Buah further criticised the limited commitment and lack of political will among key stakeholders under the then administration.
