By: Ashiadey Dotse
Professor Godfred Bokpin of the University of Ghana says the government is not treating the fight against illegal mining (galamsey) with the urgency the problem needs. He warned that failure to act now will cost the country its environment and the future of its people.
Prof. Bokpin said recent events show the crisis is already harming communities. He pointed to the shutdown of a water treatment facility in the Central Region and described how rivers and water sources are being destroyed. “Anyone buying gold from Ghana today is buying blood,” he said, describing the mining as “blood gold” that is costing lives and damaging health.
The professor challenged the idea that galamsey is mainly driven by poverty and unemployment. He said poor, local people do not benefit from the trade. “The vulnerable poor are not the ones importing excavators,” he said. Instead, he accused a few well-connected and greedy actors, some with political links, of hijacking the industry and profiting while communities suffer.
Prof. Bokpin warned that data show illegal mining has escalated since 2012 and that gains in poverty reduction have stalled. He said visits to mining communities revealed little real improvement in people’s lives. “People are wasting their lives. People are dying in those pits,” he said.
He called on the President to be decisive. He disagreed with the President’s reluctance to declare a state of emergency on illegal mining and said the government’s fear that action would harm gold production and the currency is misplaced.
“We are not calling for a total ban,” he added. “We want responsible mining and strong action now.”
Prof. Bokpin urged citizens, religious groups and all serious-minded Ghanaians to speak up. He said leaders must think beyond short political gains and act to protect the environment for future generations. “If we do not act, our children will pay the price,” he warned.
The professor closed with a personal appeal: he respects the President but said he is disappointed with the slow response. He urged quick, bold action to save Ghana’s land, water and people.
