By: Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
A Political Assistant to Alan Kyerematen and a leading member of the Movement for Change, Nana Yaw Sarpong, has stressed that Ghana can only overcome the menace of illegal mining (galamsey) if the state asserts absolute control over the gold industry.
Speaking on GBC’s ‘Current Agenda’, Mr Sarpong explained that while President John Dramani Mahama’s recent comments on gold sales were widely debated, they must be understood in context. He noted that the President was not endorsing illegal mining, but rather acknowledging that gold already mined — whether legally or illegally — must be accounted for to prevent it from vanishing into private hands.
“The gold already exists. You can’t erase it. The state must create a window to mop up what is out there, just like small arms retrieval programmes, so that the country benefits instead of losing everything to private pockets,” he said.
Mr Sarpong argued that for Ghana to truly tackle galamsey, it must overhaul the licensing and certification system that governs small-scale mining. He called for a temporary suspension of small-scale operations for at least a year to allow for a full audit of licenses issued in the last decade.
He noted that many small-scale miners use valid documentation for one concession to illegally extend their operations into unauthorized areas, worsening environmental destruction. “We need to audit the regime, identify who is overstretching their permits, and ensure that only companies using the right technology and legal processes can operate,” Sarpong emphasized.
Beyond regulation, he highlighted the severe consequences of galamsey, warning that the problem has gone beyond environmental degradation to what he described as a looming national crisis. “This is not just about polluted rivers. It is threatening food security, settlements, education, and even lives. I see it as bordering on genocide because people are dying,” he cautioned.
He nsisted that only strong political will and structural reforms — including strict traceability of gold sales and tighter oversight — will save Ghana from the destructive spiral of illegal mining.
