By Ashiadey Dotse
Politician and activist Bernard Mornah says Ghana’s growing unemployment crisis is forcing many young people, including graduates, into illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Speaking in an interview on GTV’s Current Agenda show on Saturday, September 13, 2025, Mornah argued that galamsey cannot be stopped as long as government fails to create sustainable jobs and opportunities for the youth.
He noted that many university graduates, who complete their studies with loans and high expectations, are unable to find employment and are left with no choice but to turn to mining in order to survive.
“Why is galamsey seen as a bigger threat to our lives than poverty and unemployment?” Mornah questioned. “We have people with master’s degrees who cannot find jobs. They borrow to study, they finish, and there are no opportunities. How do you tell them not to go into the bushes when you have not provided alternatives?”
He stressed that galamsey is not the problem in itself but rather a symptom of deeper challenges such as poverty, lack of state ownership of resources, and the government’s failure to address employment needs.
Mornah added that the state’s decision to hand over control of Ghana’s mineral wealth to foreign companies has worsened the situation, leaving citizens with little benefit from the nation’s resources.
He insisted that until government takes charge of the extractive sector and creates jobs, the fight against illegal mining will continue to fail.
